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From the Editor |
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by
Laura Kalnajs
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My husband’s parents came to this country after World War II. They fled Latvia when the Russians invaded, spent the remainder of the war in a displaced persons camp in Germany, and took a boat to America in 1948. They settled in Long Island, New York, where my husband and his two sisters were born. They had many interesting and harrowing stories to tell their children, stories that have now been passed onto the grandchildren. My husband’s parents were proud of their Latvian heritage, sending the kids to Latvian school on Saturdays at the Latvian Lutheran Church. Although they embraced their new country and were grateful and excited about their new freedoms, they strived to remind their children of their heritage. Noble Legacy, on page 54, is the story of another immigrant’s journey to America, albeit one with more lofty beginnings. Toria’s story, as well as my husband’s, reminds me that each family has an interesting, and sometimes surprising, tale to tell. My side of the family tree is a different story. My father’s ancestors came to New England from Britain in the 1700s, and my mother’s side can trace the family back to the Mayflower. We take foolish pride in the fact that Johnny Appleseed is an ancestor. Yes, he was a real person. Growing up in New Jersey, I took frequent trips to New England to visit family and to vacation. One of my favorite trips was to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, a reenactment of an early 19th century village. I especially remember the candle shop and all of the wonderful smells. Our story on the Mile Branch Settlement here in southern Louisiana, on page 66, was, therefore, fascinating to me. What makes the story so interesting is the fact that the actual descendants of the original settlers now volunteer as guides. On Election Day, November 2, let’s all exercise one of the greatest freedoms we have as Americans, one reason why immigrants came to this country and still want to come. I’ll see you at the polls! Copyright 2004, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved. |
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