How do you know that the first person in your ancestry did not come here illegally?

Question

Based on the fact that America is a land of immigrants and most of us are descendants of immigrants, how you feel if you learned that your ancestor came to the USA illegally?

Answer 1

I happen to know that my ancestors on both sides of my family came here LEGALLY, and I have in my possession their documents to prove it.
They were very proud to become U.S. Citizens, and their documents were well preserved and handed down to their future generations. I was chosen to be the current keeper of our family's history, and I too will pass down these documents to the next generation when the time comes.

Answer 2

I know that my people didn't come illegally because I knew my grandparents that immigrated here - legally.

The United States is indeed filled with people that immigrated here. The problem today is that too many are breaking the law and entering illegally.

If the first thing that a person does upon entry into a country is illegal - what does that say about that person?

Answer 3

Based on the genealogy research I KNOW they were legal or there were no laws at the time. I have ancestors that were the original minute men. (Also, I have the paperwork for my mother that indicates that she was legal and was working to become a citizen before she unexpectedly died when I was 5 weeks old. She was born in Canada.)

Why do you assume that ancestors were ILLEGAL? Not everyone breaks the law like the current ILLEGAL aliens.

Answer 4

I took the time to look up my ancestors & know when they arrived, the ones that were not native American.
My Mother's family arrived here from Scotland via England. My Father's came from Scotland via England. Both sides came in the years between 1621 to 1784. Long before there were any illegal immigrants.
The forth finest geneology library in America is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. My cousin went to England & even found the name of the ship that my Mother's family took to arrive here.

Answer 5

Well...my ancestors on my mother's side were here during the colonial days (a couple of them were deacons in Wethersfield, CT), and all my father's grandparents immigrated here legally from Poland and Belarus. I have records.

If one was here illegally, I doubt it would make me "illegal," since I'm descended from legal immigrants/citizens as well.

Answer 6

How do you know that? Well, if you like large hats and have the tendency to shout words in Spanish without knowing why, then your ancestors might have come here illegally...
How would I feel if I found out that my ancestors came here illegally? I'd feel just the same. Actually, I'd feel more American than ever.

(P.S. My answer is purely theoretical. I am not an American citizen.)

Answer 7

Some of my ancestors were Cherokee and Creek. The others came from Europe before the US was officially a country. I've traced my lines, my people were never illegals.

Answer 8

Ancestors came over the icebridge 15-25,000 years ago. Don't believe the immigration authority was in place at that time. People too busy surviving to have other than nomadic totems and taboos to rule them. Ancestors, you rocked (literally.)

Answer 9

Well if you're of European descent, it's unlikely, unless they've come over in the last 50yrs or less. Immigration all the up to the early 20th century was facilitated by ship loads of immigrants who were cattled straight from the ship, to the booth or whatever, signed their name or whatever and moved on. I really doubt that people took their personal vessels, sailing across the vicious ocean just to disembark away from major entry points to bypass imigration.

Answer 10

My Grandfather came here illegally, proved his worth through working hard for 8 years, went back to his country, told the immigration people what he had done, what he wanted, and they granted him, his wife, my father, my Aunt and Uncle, citizenship. 1920 to 1928. And he always considered himself a We--bac , only he came from Canada, NOT Mexico.
Went from Canada to Michigan, and back again, on the Ferry, every day. I'm proud of him for the huevos he had, the chances he took, only to better his young Family, not to mention the sacrifices all of them did. And because of that, with his extended Family now grown, we have all been contributing to the betterment of the good old U.S.A. now for 87 years. All of his Grandchildren were born here. We all have children of our own, plus grandchildren, and out of a large Family, NOT one has abused the privilege of American Citizenship. Five generations already. And, if not for immigration, my Family would be a glint in my Grandpa's eyes. I am VERY PROUD of my Grandpa!!!