Dallas Morning News Editorial:"A Fruitful Family Tree"

Katy Perkins Dallas Morning News editorialHector Cantu's article "A Fruitful Family Tree: Surprises and a rich heritage await those who search for their ancestors" was the best illustration I have seen today in the DMN of the double standard for adoptees in this country. Mr. Cantu opened with 'blood doesn't matter' ("they figured the family bloodline would end with them...that was perfectly fine") and closes with 'blood is everything' ("Losing your identity, not knowing where you come from...that's where kids get in trouble.") He interviewed a woman who researched her family tree in order to obtain medical history yet neglected to discuss the relevance of medical history to adoptees. As an adoptee, the only interest I have in my adoptive family's medical history is how healthy they are; beyond that, it has no effect on me, and I have been highly restricted by the state of Texas in how much information I am allowed access to. For those who are adopted, a 'rich heritage' (by blood) may await us, but we may not necessarily be able to find it, no matter how hard we search. Instead, we are told to be grateful for the heritage of our adoptive family, since we are lucky to have a family in the first place. After all, blood doesn't matter, right?

A fruitful family tree Surprises and a rich heritage await those who search for their ancestors 05:08 PM CST on Friday, October 31, 2003 By HECTOR CANTÚ / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News Irma Vela's three children are adopted. So when she and her husband began exploring their family tree, they figured the family bloodline would end with them. And that was perfectly fine with the Dallas couple. The love they have for their kids, who have always known they are adopted, has nothing to do with blood, Mrs. Vela says. "Family trees were never important to me," she says. That changed when their daughter, then in the eighth grade, brought home a school assignment to make a family tree. "She expressed a real interest," says Mrs. Vela, 69. Soon, all three of the Vela's children – Robert, Luis and Ana – were interested in their family line. Mrs. Vela and husband Robert, 74, soon began a full-fledged family-tree search. In 1998, they joined others to found HOGAR de Dallas (Hispanic Organization for Genealogy and Research). Then came the surprise. While comparing records with another family, the Velas discovered that their son's children – through their mother – linked into Mrs. Vela's family tree. "Going back six generations, we found that we had a common ancestor," says Mrs. Vela. She is amazed that her family blood flows through her grandchildren. Discovering a link to her grandchildren was not a goal, says Mrs. Vela, a retired teacher. But she does call it a reward. "I've often wondered if I had the same joy that parents have for their biological children," Mrs. Vela says. "This showed me there's no difference in the feelings I have for my grandchildren and my children." Missing branches With help from HOGAR, Latinos are filling in the missing branches of their family trees – finding lost relatives, uncovering family lore and, maybe more important, discovering a sense of place and pride. "We have teachers, doctors, retired military people," says HOGAR president Arturo Garza. "They're all just trying to trace their family history. They want to find out where they came from." HOGAR membership includes about 60 families, says Mr. Garza. They attend conferences, exchange information with other genealogy groups and have access to a large collection of documents – such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses and baptismal records – collected by HOGAR's senior members. Dorina Thomas, 60, a high school counselor, began tracking down ancestors in 1997 because she was interested in family medical history. "I wanted to see which genes I might inherit." While examining family death records, Mrs. Thomas noticed names of the dead person's parents. Her ancestors, she says, seemed to be calling out for an opportunity to share their stories. "It made me think they themselves ... up in the sky ... wanted me to do this," she says. Since then, she's discovered that her side of the family tree, with deep roots in South Texas, includes family names such as Galindo, Treviño, Martinez and Flores. A great-grandfather was a justice of the peace, and he compiled family lineage lists. His mother, Eugenia de la Garza Falcón Olivares, was especially interesting. Genealogical research linked the woman to Spanish explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, famous for his failed expedition north from Mexico to find the Seven Cities of Gold in 1540. "Coronado married an ancestor in the lineage of Eugenia," Mrs. Thomas says. "It's just fascinating to know one of my ancestors was an explorer who was able to contribute so much to the discovery of lands in Texas. It's a feeling beyond words." Mrs. Thomas and her husband, Jesse, 61, also co-founders of HOGAR, have notebooks and boxes filled with family records and photos dating to the 1840s. Mr. Thomas traces the paternal side of his family to early Texas settlers from Mississippi. Family names on his father's side of the family tree include Sims, Howell and Cavazos. He says an ancestor came to America in the mid-1600s as an indentured servant. His mother's side of his family includes family names like Uresti (sometimes Ureste), Garza and Guajardo. In 1998, while doing research in Corpus Christi, Mr. Thomas found a local Catholic monsignor who had collected information on the Thomas family. It was a treasure trove of information. "My great-great-grandmother was a Choctaw Indian and she apparently had a temper," says Mr. Thomas, a schoolteacher. "She had a large family, and when her husband died, she went back to living in a tent. Well, when she got mad at one son, she would grab her tent and go to live at another son's house." Has that temper been passed down through the generations? "If I do have a temper, I know how to control it," Mr. Thomas says with a laugh. Silent moment HOGAR president Mr. Garza began looking into family history about four years ago. He was at a Plano library when he overheard people talking about birth and death certificates. "They were apparently doing family research," says Mr. Garza, 59. "A couple of days later, I was thinking about my dad. It was one silent moment." Mr. Garza's father had died in 1956, when Mr. Garza was 12. Forty years later, Mr. Garza wanted to know more about his dad. He did research on his own, but then joined HOGAR. "It was curiosity," he says. "I wanted to find out where my ancestors came from." The search has not been easy. When he started his search, Mr. Garza knew little about his dad, other than he was born in Mexico. A crucial break came after he discovered a 91-year-old cousin in Corpus Christi. The woman shared information and stories when Mr. Garza visited her in 2000. Today, Mr. Garza knows his grandparents were Antonio and Severiana Garza. According to relatives, the couple entered the United States about 100 years ago. Mr. Garza's father was one of 12 known siblings. All are deceased. The cousin recalled going to parties at the Garzas' ranch home in South Texas. "She said my mom would fix all kinds of food – tamales, buñuelos – and my dad always provided the music, and they all danced. My dad always welcomed them and made them feel at home." The cousin has provided names of other relatives in South Texas, and Mr. Garza hopes to visit them soon to collect more family history and extend his family tree beyond his grandparents. "The most rewarding part of all this has been finding cousins and reminiscing and being able to talk to someone who knew my dad," Mr. Garza says. "That has been special." Solid foundation Mrs. Thomas sees another benefit of knowing her family history. "When I'm no longer here, on this earth, my children and my children's children will be able to know where they came from," says Mrs. Thomas. "It's important to know your past, who you are and who your parents are. It gives you a solid foundation." Mrs. Thomas' daughter agrees. "Losing your identity, not knowing where you come from ... that's where kids get in trouble," says Dorina Aliza Thomas, 26, a Dallas teacher. "To know things your family has done helps you set goals. You don't feel alone. "People ask me, 'What are you? Why do you have an Anglo name and you're Mexican-American?' Now, I have answers. Now, I have a story, and people get blown away when I tell it." The next HOGAR meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at Casa View Branch Library, 10355 Ferguson Road. For details, call 972-841-9455 or e-mail agarza0972@aol.com. Annual membership is $30 per family. E-mail hcantu@dallasnews.com