Friends Of Roots

ROOTS SUMMER IS A YEAR-LONG PROGRAM FOR YOUNG ADULTS AGES 18 TO 30. IN 2017, 11 ROOTS INTERNS WERE SELECTED IN JANUARY. IN FEBRUARY, AN INFORMAL MEETING WAS HELD SO THAT THE YEARS INTERNS COULD MEET EACH OTHER. A SERIES OF SATURDAY SEMINARS AND ACTIVITIES WERE CONDUCTED FROM MARCH THROUGH JUNE. INTERNS TOURED SAN FRANCISCO CHINATOWN, CONDUCTED RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, AND TOURED ANGEL ISLAND IMMIGRATION STATION. INTERNS ATTENDED SEMINARS ON CHINAS HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY AND THE CHINESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY. SCHOLARS AND WRITERS SUCH AS JUDY YOUNG AND RUTHANNE LUM MCCUNN SERVED AS GUEST SPEAKERS. THE FINAL PRE-TRIP SEMINAR WAS HELD IN JUNE AND INCLUDED FINAL PREPARATIONS AND A BRIEFING FOR THE TRIP TO CHINA. AFTER EXPLORING THEIR CHINESE ROOTS IN AMERICA THROUGH THE ACTIVITIES PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, PARTICIPANTS EXPLORED THEIR ROOTS IN CHINA THROUGH VISITS TO THEIR ANCESTRAL VILLAGES AND OTHER HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SITES IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE. UPON THEIR RETURN FROM CHINA, THE INTERNS CONTINUED OUR MISSION AND VALUES. PAULA MADISON, RETIRED NBC EXECUTIVE, WAS THE 2017 KEYNOTE GUEST SPEAKER. SHE WROTE A BOOK, FINDING SAMUEL LOWE: FROM HARLEM TO CHINA, AND MADE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HER SEARCH FOR HER HAKKA CHINESE GRANDFATHERS FAMILY. SHE IS OF JAMAICAN BLACK AND CHINESE ANCESTRY AND GREW UP IN HARLEM.