Thanksgiving: A Bittersweet Holiday

This image accompanied a message I received from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD), of which I'm a member: The Mayflower Society wishes you a healthy and happy Thanksgiving! It's an idealized view, glorious rays of sunshine and all, of a ship that brought saints and strangers, Puritans who came to be known as … Continue reading Thanksgiving: A Bittersweet Holiday

A Vietnamese tradition inspires a genealogical journey

Here's my latest essay for VNExpress International. In it I mention a December 2021 article From New England to Vietnam: Settler Colonialism in Cross-Cultural Perspective that was published behind a paywall. Since VNExpress doesn't include links to other sites, follow this link to another blog post to read it free of charge. Photo courtesy of … Continue reading A Vietnamese tradition inspires a genealogical journey

From New England to Vietnam: Settler Colonialism in Cross-Cultural Perspective

I've been working on a long-form essay that combines my interest in history and genealogy. Since so many of my ancestors arrived in what became British Colonial America and later the USA, starting in 1610 and 1620, the historical is intensely personal for me. I write as a direct and collateral descendant of Jamestown settlers … Continue reading From New England to Vietnam: Settler Colonialism in Cross-Cultural Perspective