Roots

I remember in 5th grade, our class was studying Europe.  Each student was supposed to then pick a country in Europe to do a report on... and our teacher suggested maybe picking a country that we had roots to. 

Except, well, in my family, no one really has roots to Europe. I ended up with the Netherlands because I thought that windmills were cool.

Fast forward to 6th grade, and we have a little more latitude with our reports.  I think the topic was just American history.  My mom suggested that I write about the Chinese laborers who helped build the transcontinental railroad.  And it was then (well, uh, it might have been a similar report I wrote in 7th grade), our local public library, that I was first introduced to Ronald Takaki.  I distinctly remember how much his name and his book stuck out - as one of only a handful of books about our history written by someone whose family had lived through it. 

It was such a contrast - to read about American history that related to my family, my grandparents, and what they experienced.  Compared to feeling like a lone student who didn't have family history in Europe, this was something that was mine, that was personal.

I hope that as Tae grows up, she continues to find this - the connections in the big picture of history, politics, whatever - back to her own life.  Finding the relevance of our stories, the voices of our elders... these things are so precious and so important.

I was lucky enough to meet Ronald Takaki in the fall of 2007.  As part of my quest to pass along our stories and histories, I have a collection of books by Asian American authors that have been inscribed by them to her.

His inscription reads:

To Tae:

A study of the past written for your future.  To empower you with a remembering of your roots.

With best wishes,

Ron Takaki
October 16, 2007

May we all be empowered by Ronald Takaki's words.  Rest in power.  I will remember.

Comments

[Zach]

oh my goodness, i hadn't heard that he had died. this is terrible news.
I was fortunate enough to eat dinner with him and tw other students after he spoke at my university a few years back. Nothing especially momentous from our dinner, just this very nice older man and the feeling that i was dining with someone...good. And wise.