It's official--October "Family History Month"
It is a great day for genealogists and family historians everywhere!
On
Wednesday, September 26, 2001, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved
legislation to designate October as "Family History Month." This is a huge
day for the more than 80 million Americans who are believed to be actively
searching for more information about their ancestors. "Millions of Americans
are researching the history of their families," said Senator Orrin G. Hatch,
the Utah Republican who introduced the Family History Month resolution.
"Experts say that in the United States, genealogy is now the second most
popular hobby next to gardening."
"It is only natural that we want to find out more about our ancestors,"
Hatch continued. "What better way to bring families closer together than by
discovering more about the story of their own family? Like it or not, who we
are today is in large part, a product of our ancestors.
Hatch's bill (S.R. 160), which was co-sponsored by 84 other Senate members,
commemorates October as Family History Month and encourages President Bush
to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to
observe the month of October with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
"With the advent of the Internet, there has been an explosion of interest
in family history," Hatch continued. "Last month alone, more than 14 million
Americans used the Internet to research their family history. Genealogy
Internet sites are some of the most popular sites on the World Wide Web. My
church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has family history
information on nearly 500 million individuals on its family history web
site, FamilySearch."
In light of the recent tragic of events of September 11, the timing of this
legislation couldn't be more perfect, in my opinion. We need to get past
being scared and celebrate who we are and where we came from. Researching
ancestry is a very important part of who we are as individuals and as a
nation. It can lead to family reunions, new medical treatments based on
genetic links, and a sense of tolerance and understanding of individuals
from different religions, cultures and backgrounds. With the exception of
Native Americans, our ancestors were all immigrants to this country, coming
from different parts of the globe. In the words of Senator Hatch, "By
searching for our roots, we come closer together as a human family."
For more information check out our Family History Month Special which
includes the full text of Senator
Hatch's resolution, articles on researching your family tree, projects for
celebrating Family History Month and a schedule of Family History Month
events planned around the U.S.