John’s GEOG 210 StoryMap – Geography 210: Geographic Dimensions of Human Development

When my mother was in middle school her and her sisters moved to the United States with their mother. The Najera sisters grew up and went through high school in Queens or nearby New Jersey. As they each graduated from Rutgers University they went their separate ways to begin their own lives and careers. In addition to their own interesting ethnic background, they each married men with global connections of their own. As their families have expanded and they each had children of their own, including myself, family events have become an arena to share global perspectives and traditions other than just those of the Philippines.

Having Filipino family has had a great influence on how I have grown up. Much of my family is still in the Philippines and my mother’s influence has instilled Filipino values within us. Contrary, but not dissimilar to the Najera side of my family, a side of first-generation Americans, the Olszewski side of my family has a diverse migratory history. Ancestors migrated to America from England during colonial times on the Mayflower and also from Poland through Ellis Island. Varying histories, in both time period and origin, on all sides of my family has allowed me to have interesting experiences as I have grown up.

Benedict Roemer says:

October 1, 2015 at 12:38 pm

This Storymap does a great job of showing how immigration can bring very different people together. They then can share their experiences with each other and create rich cultural diversity.

Gerardo Nolasco Pineda says:

October 1, 2015 at 12:54 pm

I like the way how you transition from your description of your story map to the actual story map. It is fascinating to think of how being in a relationship with someone from a different country makes you even more global. Those around us influence us to an extent that we become interested even more in worldly matters.