Running head: ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

Ethnographic Study of One's Family of Origin

Jodi Sviontek
Wayne State University

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

Abstract
This paper explores the ethnographic study of my paternal and maternal family origin. The
techniques used were self observations and interviews of family members to accumulate
information on family culture, ethnicity, and family development. I also used literature and
research to gather relevant data on how factors led to crises and challenges for the families.
Because my parents were divorced when I was two years old, I look at both families as separate
groups. I first look at my paternal side of the family. I focus on migration patterns, how the
family developed, and cultural and social problems. My grandfather was an immigrant from the
Philippines and my grandmother a Protestant Anglo-Saxon Southern American. Having mixed
ethnic backgrounds and blending into mainstream American culture was a challenge the family
faced on my paternal side of the family. I then look at my maternal side of the family. I am able
to trace a migration pattern as far back as four generations back from myself. My maternal side
has strong ethnic roots from Northern Italy in the Lombardi area around Milan. I look at the
emphasis of patriarchal authority and the impact it has had on the family. It is also relevant that
the family adheres to the status quo of Western culture. I combine my cultural influence and
examine how these values and pressures will impact me in the social work environment.

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

Ethnographic Study of One's Family of Origin

My paternal side of the family has a diverse mix of family culture and ethnic
backgrounds. The surname R----- originates from the Philippines from the Island of Luzon. The
Philippines has been influenced heavily by eastern and western cultures throughout history,
especially from Chinese, Spanish, and American cultures. Diversity, intergroup conflict, and
social inequality has existed in the Philippines since it was first colonized. My grandfather
wanted to start a new life and thought that the United States could provide better opportunities
than what was offered to him in the Philippines. According to (Ashford & Winston LeCroy,
2010),
Physical and cultural differences influence the life chances and experiences of
many women and people of color. As a consequence, race, ethnicity, gender,
sexual orientation, and able-bodiedness are key variables in assessing social and
interpersonal relations (p. 167).
Stories of anyone can get "rich" and everyone is "equal" in the United States if you work
hard was the storyline my grandfather heard in the Philippines. The Philippine government gave
my grandfather permission to leave the country and start a new life outside of the rural farming
community that seems destined for him.
My grandfather Miguel was born in a rural town outside the city of Manila. When he
was 17 years old he graduated from school and wanted to leave the country. He left to work in
Alaska at a Fishing wharf. When he saved up enough money he left for California. There he
worked as a house boy for the wealthy class of the area. My father told me that he would take
left over lobster that they would throw away and store it in hiding spots on the beach so his
friends and other Filipinos could eat. Coming from an Asian culture and being an immigrant,

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

collectivism was valued and used as a support system for the minority community. But after a
while he wanted to do something more than serve wealthy people all the time. He then moved to
Detroit where good paying factory jobs were available at the time. He worked at Ford Motor
Company for 19 years working on the assembly line before retiring and starting his own barber
shop in Detroit.
My grandmother Nella, on my paternal side was from Kentucky. She was the daughter of
a priest of a Methodist church and was raised with a very strict religious background. Despite
having a religious background and her father being a priest, her father eventually left the family.
Shortly after her dad left she became engaged to be married, but the marriage didn't happen.
When she turned 18 she packed her bags and left for Chicago. No one in the family really knows
the details, but she was married while she lived in Chicago for a short time. My dad and uncles
said she never talked about her past very much and it was always a mystery what had happened
in her younger years.
My grandmother went on vacation with a date to Kentucky to watch the Kentucky derby.
My grandfather at the time was also down in Kentucky for vacation. Somehow they linked up
and my grandfather started to visit her in Chicago. They both ended up in Michigan and my
grandmother married a Filipino man. They adopted two kids from her sister because she couldn't
care for them and my grandmother didn't want the kids to leave the family. My grandmother and
grandfather had problems trying to get pregnant with children of their own since they were in
their early 40's. Shortly after adopting two of her sister kids, Ricardo and Nella; they had two of
their own kids. My dad being the first, Derrick, and my uncle Aaron being second.
Over time my dad's side of the family adapted to traditional western American culture.
My grandfather participated in the Filipino community and was well respected. He wanted to

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

maintain his ethnic heritage and it was a chance for him to meet and talk with others Filipinos
who came from the same background as him. He became very popular with his co-workers at the
Ford factory plant and had a successful barber shop in Detroit. He was always very personable
which worked well for him when he open his barber shop. He told my dad, "sometimes you have
to let things go because when you are the minority you have to be careful". After my grandfather
met my grandmother he slowly assimilated into western culture. My dad and uncles say that he
was a man who always put family first.
My grandmother suffered from alcohol abuse and was chronic a smoker. The family
thinks because of her past she was chronically depressed and always had a short temper. She was
in failing health in her late 50's and died when she was in her early 60's. This side of the family
struggled with ethnic identity and substance abuse. From my observation, family life was
unstable and substance abuse was a trait that was passed on. My dad and uncle being of mixed
ethnic backgrounds always faced stigma and stereotypes. They never really talked about it much
but I can tell that they have built up frustrations. My dad feels part of the reason why he and my
mom divorced is because he wasn't accepted by my mother's side of the family.
Both parents from my maternal side of the family is of Northern Italian heritage. My
grandfather from on my mother's side was an immigrant from the Milan area of Italy. He is part
of the ethnic group in Italy called Lombardi, which historically was a Germanic tribe from
Scandinavian origin who in the 1st century formed in Europe. My grandfather Carlo Francesco
T-----, was 21 when he came to America to escape World War II that was raging in Europe.
Because my grandfather was technically a American citizen, the American embassy granted him
asylum and he was shipped to America. My grandfather and two of his siblings were born in
America when they were babies. When he was a toddler they went back to Italy because his

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

father died from flu like symptoms. His mother didn't work nor did she speak any English. So
she went back to Italy for support from her family.
My grandmother Elvera, on my mother's side is also of Northern Italian descent. Her
father being from Venice, and her mother being from the Milan area. My great grandfather
Giovanni was actually born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His parents had a plantation which failed,
forcing them to go back to Italy.
Once my great grandparents were married in Italy, they left to start a new life in America
in hope of more opportunities then what Italy offered at the time. My grandmother Elvera, grew
up in the Eastern Market area of Detroit and only knew how to speak Lombardi until she went to
grade school to learn English.
My grandparents Carlo and Elvera met through a friend whom my grandfather was living
with at the time. My grandparents had my mother at a later age, my grandfather was in his early
40's and grandmother was in her late 30's. The first child they had was a baby boy who was a still
born. They were scared to try again but wanted to make one last effort of having children. Their
second attempt was successful and they had my mom, Carolann. My mother learn how to speak
Lombardi before she knew how to speak English. She didn't learn English until she went to grade
school. Most of her childhood she lived in Detroit in an Italian community. My grandparents
built a house in Detroit and lived there for a few years. When the great white flight took place in
Detroit my grandparents were a part of it. They told me that they didn't want my mom to go to
school with black people, so they moved to the suburbs in Warren in the late 1960's when she
was becoming a teenager. In Italy, Northern Italians discriminate against Southern Italians, this
was taught to my grandparents from their Western cultural background and they followed this
train of thought in America as well. According to (Appleby, Colon, and Hamilton, 2011), the "

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

primary construction in Western cultural thought is the belief that the superior should control the
inferior" (p. 61).
My family culture on my mother's side was a mix between American and traditional
Italian values. My mom was raised with a strict Catholic religious background. She was sent to
Catholic school up until high school. When she became an adult, she left the Catholic faith and
adopted Protestant-Born Again faith much to the disapproval of the family. My mom was raised
to be dependent on her family with a patriarchal outlook on family roles. My grandparents were
disappointed when she married my dad because he wasn't Italian or rich. She then divorced my
dad and was supported by my grandparents. After the divorce my mom started dating other
people and she became pregnant with my sister. My mom was almost thrown out of the family
when she had my sister because she was born out of wedlock. If it wasn't for me being around
they probably would have never talked to her again.
My mom was told to find a good man to take care of her. She wasn't expected to achieve
or fulfill her goals or explore her dreams. The family belief was that a women's role was in the
house and she should depend on a man to take care of her economic needs. My mom had trouble
fulfilling these roles and was divorced twice and married three times. Her parents never
approved of her relationships because the men she saw were not from Northern Italy or rich.
Unlike my dad's family, my mom's family focused on the nuclear family. My grandfather
had to sit at the head of the table and everybody would start to eat while my grandmother would
serve everybody. My grandmother did all the cooking and cleaning, it would be an insult to my
grandmother if I helped her clean or make the food. But it was allowed if my sister or mother
offered to help. Meal time was the time that the family bonded and came together despite the
inequality.

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

I have to be aware how my cultural identity might influence my work and values in the
social work field. Coming from a diverse background I feel I have an empathic sense for diverse
groups, cultures, and ethnicities. Despite being raised by my mom's American-Italian family, I
also value my dad's American-Filipino side of the family. In school I never really felt I fit into
one group because of the way I look and act. Despite acting and talking like my Anglo-Saxton
peers I was often stereotyped and experienced prejudice. I participated with both the majority
group and the minority group. I believe this has given me a certain awareness and understanding
on how and why people act the way they do in certain environments.
My cultural heritage might affect how I view people who are in financial trouble or have
limited resources. Since my maternal grandparents have always supported my family financially,
I was never in a disparate situation and I always had someone to bail me out of trouble. Despite
only living with my mother and sister, my grandparents were a big part of my life. Any time that
are family was in need they came to the rescue. Whether it be financial, emotional, or even legal
trouble they would bail us out. Because I never have experienced what it's like to be without
basic needs or have limited to resources I might not fully understand how some consumers
experience or feel in certain situations that they are struggling with. According to (Ashford &
Winston LeCroy, 2010, p. 16), " Physical and social contexts with which people live place limits
on their choices". Being culturally competent will be key for understanding and helping people
in all situations and cultures.
As Ferrante (2003, p. 72) wrote, "Societies are distinguished from one another not on the
basis of which values are present in one society and absent in another, but rather according to
which values are most cherished and dominant". As humans often do, we often expect that others
share our assumptions and values about social life. Being raised in America I have to be aware of

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

the values pressed and molded onto me. Most of the time we do not even know we are making
these assumptions. Individualism and independence is a value that I have to be aware of and not
press or direct this onto consumers who practice collectivism. Social workers must promote
consumer well-being and individual dignity, self-determination, and the right to actualize one's
full potential.
In conclusion, my diverse background of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds makes
me the person who I am today. My paternal side of mixed ethnic and cultural background has
given me a unique outlook on how and why minorities act toward their environment. My
maternal side has given me the resources and perspective on how the majority group acts and
feels in their environment. Both sides of my family have had their challenges and respond to
their environment in their own way. Different cultures arise because of different environment
challenges and values. But both sides love, hurt, and enjoy life the same. Humans need to
understand how people are affected by their environment and social structure. Striving to be
culturally competent is one of the main goals of social work and how the worker can understand
their consumer better to help fulfill their desire to become the best person they can be. Having
the strength perspective outlook can assesses the strengths of a person, family, or group. This
perspective is important for social workers to guide consumers to solutions for their problems
with their own strengths.

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF FAMILY ORIGIN

References
Appleby, G. A., Colon, E., & Hamilton, J. (2011). Diversity, Oppression, and Social
Functioning: Person-In-Environment Assessment and Intervention (3rd ed.). Boston,
MA: Allyn & Bacon: Pearson.
Ashford, J. B., & Winston LeCroy, C. (Eds.). (2010). Human Behavior in the Social
Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole,
Cengage Learning.
Ferrante, J. (2003). Sociology: A Global Perspective (5th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Thomson/Wadsworth.

10