Jolivette 1

Abby Jolivette
Professor Harken
UNIV 1000
7 October 2015
Hidden Diversity

Like most people, I come from a variety of different heritages. On my fathers side, I am
mostly Norwegian with a fraction of French, while on my mothers side I am fully German. I am
not made of just one ethnicity; however, through many generations of my family, multiple
ethnicities made me who I am. This being said, in third grade I was assigned a project discussing
my ancestors. We were told to construct a doll that would resemble a traditional woman from the
country of our origin. I fashioned a German doll dressed in German clothing. Reflecting back, I
now wonder, why did I choose Germany? I am not only German, I am not only Norwegian, I am
not only French. Although my family comes from many different places, I always simply say
that I am German.
Every Christmas, Norwegian and German traditions are everywhere. My father will
make lefse, while my mother will hide the pickle in the tree. We participate together as a family
in the traditions acquired through generations. My maternal grandparents are especially proud of
the German heritage and they have always encouraged me to learn about my ancestors. I have
some relatives in Germany, and my grandparents frequently make traditional German meals for
us to try. My paternal side of the family is Norwegian, but we do not discuss our ancestors as
often. We continuously prepare food indigenous to Norway, and discuss our Norwegian history,
but it has never been as important as my German background.
had an impact on why I look so highly on my German heritage.

My grandparents have definitely

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During the summer of seventh grade, my grandparents took me and my brother to

Germany. We were able to see family, and experience all of the places that they had talked about
often. I stayed in a village named Herbson, which is where my distant family has lived for many
years. I was able to sleep in a farm style house and live in a part of Germany that not many
tourists are able to see. My brother and I helped on the farm and experienced the German culture
for ten days. After meeting a girl my age who lived in Herbson, I was taught how to speak some
of the language. We continue to keep in touch today, even though I visited her five years ago.
Through the people I met, the museums I toured, and the places I visited, I learned about my
heritage and I became familiar with the culture and traditions of which my grandparents are so
proud.
The history of Germany is more well known than any of my other heritages, as well as
the stories that came from Germany in my immediate family. In school it was almost impressive
to be German, because the Germans are an important part of our worlds history. Although the
history is not all positive, the impact it made on our world is tremendous. It is a critical part of
our history which influenced people from a young age. World War II opened the eyes of many
and showed society how wrong it is to discriminate other ethnicities, religions, or races. The
history of Germany gives Americans a reason to be thankful for our country and the freedom we
are granted.
Because of my maternal grandparents, my trip to Germany, and the history I learned at
school, I have more knowledge of my German heritage. I have had more opportunities to learn
about Germany, the people, and its culture. My family is made of more than just Germans;
however, the German culture is strong on my maternal side, which impacts the way that I view
my ethnicity. When asked, What is your ethnic heritage? I am quick to respond with German,

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and I sometimes forget to include Norwegian and French. Although I understand more about my
German heritage, I am still proud to be a mixture of many ethnicities and to come from a family
that has a diverse background.