Essay On Genealogical Tourism

As a result of all the genealogical records now available online, one 's family tree is now traceable, in theory, at the click of a computer mouse and “it is possible to do much of the basic research in one 's living room”1). In a sense, the internet has enabled vicarious journeys to homeland and has provided a “virtual sense of identity” for the researcher. This virtual homecoming may provide a virtual reality experience but as such “is more likely to provide a spur for the “real” thing”. 2

As Carla Santos noted3, a University of Illinois expert in tourism and recreation, genealogical tourism is a one of the fastest growing niche markets in the tourism industry because it represents a conscious shift away from relaxation in order to provide opportunities for self-discovery and personal enrichment.

American culture, and American civil order are derived from principles and authorities that arose in Europe. Unless you 're Native American, which only a very small fraction of a percent of Americans are, there 's no 'American ' ancestry.

However, Europeans have a hard time with Americans who identify themselves from their country and then give their complex genealogy tree. From an European perspective, it is easy to dismiss America 's obsession with their heritage as silly or futile but “American identity” is not in the same way that “German” or “French” identities are.

This may be counterintuitive for Europeans, because in Europe emphasizing your nationality (unless an immigrant or minority nationality) is associated with the past and the political right wing, while playing down nationality and identifying as "European" has modern, progressive