Kinship

My interviewee is in fact my grandmother (Jackie Pointer), who was born and raised in New York City in 1950. Since my grandmothers’ mother was from Polish, she lived a Polish life, for example: she was lived a not so wealthy life. With My great grandmother working all the way still she was 71 years old, and helping family in Poland, because polish people back than were considered poor. My grandmother lived a struggling life with her mother (Anna Miranda), father (Salvatore Miranda), brothers (Ronald Miranda, and Jerald Miranda) and sister (Bernier Byrd}. There were things from Poland that my great grandmother had brought; one item was called a “feather thick,” which to us we call a “comforter.” My grandmother had lived with speaking Polish, but not only that she also learned as a child that some of her family was in the Holocaust. When the Holocaust was over my great grandmother didn’t want to take any of the kids, but she went to see the concentration camps and got to walk through it and also got to walk through it. Till this day I will always remember what my great grandma said, “ It was horrible there were bones, and teeth, it was just horrible Danielle.” All the things my grandmother has done, how she was raised I can say what an amazing family I have.

            Thoughts always had ran through my head, from what this family had to go through to make a living, and supporting not only that but supporting family in another country. This made me feel sad, but excited that, the fact was they came out strong, in the end.  Yes, and the reason why I didn’t feel so comfortable was because its family, nothing seemed awkward to me, if I wasn’t family it might have seemed awkward and interesting. Nope, I didn’t get affected anything because if anything I got more into it, because of the Holocaust, and how my dads side lives in Germany. I’m half German and half Polish, or half mean and half innocent (HA HA HA)! I probably would feel uncomfortable, and a little awkward, if they got deep in personal stuff, but I’m sure it would be interesting like my family. 

            Well one thing I can say is my family is like a group, and the reason I say that is cause one group will talk and hate the other group, and so on. It’s not the greatest feeling but the group I’m in loves me and it includes my parents. Some of my family is close and some are not, and if you’re not close then you don’t socialize, and if you don’t socialize, than you don’t know if you have anything in common. The most I can go back is my mother’s side of the family, so it would be emphasis on maternal lines. The younger doesn’t get freedom like the older, but they younger its attention more than the older, so we are pretty much treated equally. The older can treat the younger mean, like being rude or picking on them, I see that a lot, but the parents run to the younger ones first. I know that one side of me is German and one is Polish, but they really don’t ever talk, but when my mom use to she hated my real dad and it was not a pretty conversation, so they never talk, so there are never problems.

            On my mothers side I know them way more then my fathers said. I just know my father, his mother, and my half little sister, that’s all. On my mother I know great grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, my parents, of course my sister and brother. I always call people from my mother’s side of the family all the time because I care, and I love them, and I want to see how they are. My Father nothing at all I cant remember the last time I talk to any of them, which is fine with me, they are a mean part of my family. My grandparents would be the most, not only do they come to us to help, but a lot of us go to them. They have been through a lot in life and I know my parent has hit rock bottom and came to the top, and they make me feel better like for me when I am stressed out. Yes and No, my parents love my brothers wife, but hate my sisters and I hate my brothers wife and like my sisters. I honestly feel it’s how that person make that first impression on you, we just don’t judge right away we at least give a chance. No, never we love everyone equally; NEVER had my family or I gave a different attitude toward family of different gender. Well I know we are a fighter and we never give up no matter what the situation is, and I look at what everyone in my family has done and use it in my life. For example, if I am poor I will not give up and work harder to better my family. Most of all that my past family went through in the Holocaust was crazy and I wish I could talk to them, and hear their side of their story.

This is my great great grandparents from my grandpa side

This is my Grandma (Jackie) and my grandpa (Gerald)

This is my great grandma Anna Miranda in 1928 she was 7 years old at her Holy Communion, this is Jackie's Mother.

This is my great great grandparent Eva on her wedding day she was 14 years old, and her husband Henery he was 27 years old. This is Anna Miranda's parents.

This is Henery's parents my great great great grandparents, I could get there names :( but Henery was born in 1894, they were born in the 1800's.