The arguments for expanding the definition of "family" are all persuasive. I'm writing this week (publishing Tuesday) on genealogy, which is less popular. However, I think maintaining knowledge of bloodlines is important because American history so often leans toward erasure. Earlier generations of my family preferred the "chosen family" of America to passing their native language, culture, and family origins on to their children. There was some pressure to assimilate, but this was a choice they made. Bloodline matters greatly to many immigrant communities -- particularly the Hmong community. One cannot easily fill the genealogical void left by slavery with a chosen family. And blood relation is fundamental to the resilience of indigenous nations in North America. I think generally this is a "both and" conversation, but I stress bloodlines because there can also be a tendency in America to perpetually reinvent oneself, easily replacing history with mythology. For my own part, chosen family must coexist with the people who made me, regardless of how I feel about them.
The arguments for expanding the definition of "family" are all persuasive. I'm writing this week (publishing Tuesday) on genealogy, which is less popular. However, I think maintaining knowledge of bloodlines is important because American history so often leans toward erasure. Earlier generations of my family preferred the "chosen family" of America to passing their native language, culture, and family origins on to their children. There was some pressure to assimilate, but this was a choice they made. Bloodline matters greatly to many immigrant communities -- particularly the Hmong community. One cannot easily fill the genealogical void left by slavery with a chosen family. And blood relation is fundamental to the resilience of indigenous nations in North America. I think generally this is a "both and" conversation, but I stress bloodlines because there can also be a tendency in America to perpetually reinvent oneself, easily replacing history with mythology. For my own part, chosen family must coexist with the people who made me, regardless of how I feel about them.