What is Your Heritage?

Do you know where your ancestors came from? Some of us know the continent (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia) or island (Greenland, Jamaica, Guam). Others of us can be more specific and know the country within the continent or island (Nigeria, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Dominican Republic). Others of us can be even more specific and know the state, town, city, or county within the country (London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Managua, Cairo, New Mexico). In the space provided below, write down the continents, countries, and regions (states, cities, towns, counties) from where you know (or believe) your ancestors came. You can ask a relative or guardian for help! Be sure to include all the generations you know.

	Continents	Countries	Regions (State, City, etc.)
My parents came from
My Grandparents came from
My great-grandparents came from
My great-great grandparents came from

Now compare your findings with those of your classmates. How many of them are from just one continent, country, and region? Some people-although they are getting fewer and fewer-can trace their heritage to a single place like Sicily, Italy, Europe. Others of us are combinations of many continents, countries, and regions. Write your findings below.

1. _______ of my classmates are from just one continent, country, and region.

2. _______ of my classmates are from many continents, countries, and regions.

Excerpt from Ready-to-Use Multicultural Activities for the American History Classroom .