Have you ever heard the term “spill the tea”? In recent contexts, this phrase means to perpetuate gossip or rumors. But is spreading gossip and rumors always a bad thing? In family history, it might not be. For this episode, we invited Dr. Sharon Staples to discuss what gossip has to do with family history and whether it can be used as a clue to learn more about our lineage.

Have you ever heard the term “spill the tea”? In recent contexts, this phrase means to perpetuate gossip or rumors. But is spreading gossip and rumors always a bad thing? In family history, it might not be. For this episode, we invited Dr. Sharon Staples to discuss what gossip has to do with family history and whether it can be used as a clue to learn more about our lineage.

Love Your Lineage is a multi-faceted, friendly, and shame-free approach to family history. Our hosts, Michelle Franzoni Thorley and Miyamoto Loretta Jensen, help us see beyond finding missing names and show us how everyone, no matter what our background or family situation, can make deep and powerful connections to our ancestors. This podcast is centered in the BIPOC family history experience, although we invite all to listen and find and claim their space.

Love Your Lineage is a multi-faceted, friendly, and shame-free approach to family history. Our hosts, Michelle Franzoni Thorley and Miyamoto Loretta Jensen, help us see beyond finding missing names and show us how everyone, no matter what our background or family situation, can make deep and powerful connections to our ancestors. This podcast is centered in the BIPOC family history experience, although we invite all to listen and find and claim their space.

Love Your Lineage

Spilling the Family History Tea (with Dr. Sharon Staples)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/61af0f78-644a-4500-9792-a89500ea78e5/clips/758d52eb-ebb4-4d65-89d3-af88016fffd9/transcript

Here’s an interesting question: How many generations ago were your ancestors speaking a different language than you are now? When Dr. Joel Selway lost his mother when he was 12 years old, he also lost a tie to his Thai ancestry. But shortly before his mission he came across an old book about learning Thai, and something sparked inside of him. Little did he know then that he would embark on a decades-long journey to learn the Thai language and, in turn, discover more about his family history than he could have ever anticipated.   

Here’s an interesting question: How many generations ago were your ancestors speaking a different language than you are now? When Dr. Joel Selway lost his mother when he was 12 years old, he also lost a tie to his Thai ancestry. But shortly before his mission he came across an old book about learning Thai, and something sparked inside of him. Little did he know then that he would embark on a decades-long journey to learn the Thai language and, in turn, discover more about his family history than he could have ever anticipated.

Language Loss and Diaspora Grief (with Dr. Joel Selway)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/61af0f78-644a-4500-9792-a89500ea78e5/clips/9c09159f-1598-46bc-888a-af8801710679/transcript

What does sunshine have to do with family history? Well, besides helping our plants and vegetables grow, sunshine has a profound effect on our bodies. One of those effects is melanin production. Melanin is a dark pigment in our hair, skin, and iris of the eye, that protects us from the sun’s radiation. Tragically, throughout history, some have used melanin to create caste systems that determine social status, ultimately affecting our family history. In this episode, Dr. David-James Gonzales discusses how these caste systems and resulting colorism began and the impact they still have on us as we seek to learn more about ourselves and our ancestors.

What does sunshine have to do with family history? Well, besides helping our plants and vegetables grow, sunshine has a profound effect on our bodies. One of those effects is melanin production. Melanin is a dark pigment in our hair, skin, and iris of the eye, that protects us from the sun’s radiation. Tragically, throughout history, some have used melanin to create caste systems that determine social status, ultimately affecting our family history. In this episode, Dr. David-James Gonzales discusses how these caste systems and resulting colorism began and the impact they still have on us as we seek to learn more about ourselves and our ancestors.

The Impacts of Colorism (with Dr. David-James Gonzales)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/61af0f78-644a-4500-9792-a89500ea78e5/clips/bee385c3-97d3-4ba7-9951-af880170906f/transcript

“Late at night when all the world is sleeping, I stay up and think of you. And I wish on a star that somewhere you are thinking of me too.” These first lines of legendary singer Selena’s “Dreaming of You” may have been written about a romantic relationship, but they also apply to family history work. Our ancestors think of us, and we think about them—and sometimes we even dream about them too. For this episode, we invited Miya’s and Michelle’s friends (as well as our amazing producer Erika Free) to share how dreams have helped them draw closer to their families in the past, present, and future.

“Late at night when all the world is sleeping, I stay up and think of you. And I wish on a star that somewhere you are thinking of me too.” These first lines of legendary singer Selena’s “Dreaming of You” may have been written about a romantic relationship, but they also apply to family history work. Our ancestors think of us, and we think about them—and sometimes we even dream about them too. For this episode, we invited Miya’s and Michelle’s friends (as well as our amazing producer Erika Free) to share how dreams have helped them draw closer to their families in the past, present, and future.

“Dreaming of You:” The Role of Dreams in Family History

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/61af0f78-644a-4500-9792-a89500ea78e5/clips/70657b2e-1ecd-4a02-a305-af8801721671/transcript

Spilling the Family History Tea (with Dr. Sharon Staples)

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