On Saturday, November 9, 2024, the 1882 Foundation hosted a genealogy workshop in collaboration with My China Roots at the I St. Conference Center, offering a unique opportunity for attendees to deepen their research into their family history. With bagels and coffee in hand, the workshop began with introductions, allowing participants to share their family backgrounds, origins, work, and the progress they had made in tracing their genealogy. What began as a room full of strangers quickly turned into a supportive community, united by the common goal of uncovering their ancestral roots.
The session was led by Huihan Lie, CEO and Founder of My China Roots, who kicked off the workshop by introducing the various services offered by My China Roots and explaining how to begin the search for one’s family history. Huihan emphasized the importance of three key pieces of information: your ancestors’ names, birthdates, and birthplaces, which serve as the foundation for locating your family’s zupu (or jiapu), the Chinese genealogical record.
The second and third sessions were led by Clotilde Yap, Global Collections Director at My China Roots. Clotilde’s first session focused on the historical presence of Chinese communities in East Coast Chinatowns, offering valuable insights into how to find resources for researching family histories in these areas. This was particularly useful for attendees whose families had immigrated to the East Coast. The third session dove into the specifics of zupus—how to read them, and how My China Roots can support users in deciphering these texts. Language barriers are a common challenge in genealogical research, but with a My China Roots subscription, attendees were shown how they could access character translations. By using the My China Roots database, users can highlight sections of their zupu to have them automatically translated, making these historical records more accessible.
In the final session, Huihan introduced another key service from My China Roots: the roots trip to China. For those wanting to take their family research to the next level, My China Roots offers in-depth fieldwork through their agents in China. These agents visit ancestral villages, gather relevant information, and work with clients to plan a trip to China, where they can meet family members and visit their ancestral hometowns.
The event drew 24 attendees, with 10 staff members from both the 1882 Foundation and My China Roots, bringing the total number of participants to 34. While the workshop provided attendees with valuable tools and insights for their genealogical research, the most rewarding part of the day was watching participants interact and collaborate, exchanging tips and supporting one another in their research efforts.
The 1882 Foundation is hopeful that everyone who attended not only gained a deeper understanding of their family history but also left with new connections and friendships.
