Sure, I'm only entering my junior year.
BUT, I've been warned by my professors: "Only two seniors finished their thesis, start thinking about it this summer."
And so I heed their warning and I've begun to brainstorm and sketch. However, I've decided to take my thesis in a different direction than what had originally been planned. I had dreamed of some epic animated adventure as a freshman, and although the idea is flawless, the visuals beautiful, and the characters rich, I've decided to go in a less "epic direction".
I've always maintained a fascination with my family history. Its so rich and varied. My life is built upon the dreams and customs of immigrants. The family is full of stories, and secrets. This summer I am dedicating myself to tracing whatever leads I can, hopefully past Ellis Island and to back to the land of my forefathers and mothers.
TASK ONE: My maternal grandmother's history
LOCATION: Williamsburg, Bushwick, (Brooklyn), Frackville, (Pennsylvania), Ukraine, Austria
This part of my family history is one of the most, dare I say "mysterious" and frustrating. My grandmother has lived (and continues to live) a full and interesting life. I did an interview of her for one of my film classes. She rolled with knife gangs, hung out in the projects, and went dancing out in Greenpoint. She's always been quite tough and after conducting the interview last fall I started to finally believe "the stories" she used to scare us with as kids.
The mysterious part: Not only does my grandmother swear that we are gypsies (romany), she also claims we are royalty. Not really sure, however certain customs upheld by my family (pysanky, decorating hollow eggs with hot wax and vinegar dyes in order to appease the gods and protect the world from chaos) add up with such claims. Not to mention my immediate family's natural abilities ranging from palmistry to dream interpretation.
The other mysterious part: There is a family rumor that my great grandfather came to Brooklyn from Austria to avoid a rising anti-semetic feeling. He was a caretaker of a synagogue, a job mostly maintained by Jews, but my grandmother and her many brothers and sisters were raised Catholic.
Goal: Find out if we really are Jewish Gypsies in disguise.
What in the hell does this have to do with my thesis?
Researching the lives of immigrants in the early twentieth century will help me understand my subject matter, which at the moment I am leaning towards doing a piece on immigration through Ellis Island.
Starting this week I will be going on little quests throughout Brooklyn to document significant locations in my family history. Look forward to this blog being updated more often.
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