Who am I and how did I get here? These are questions genealogists seek to answer. As someone who's been working on family history for more than 20 years now, I've decided to take the next step.
I devour Henry Louis Gates' "Finding Your Roots" on PBS in part for the history told through the work-a-day families of well-known individuals. Sure, famous people make the history books, but it's the rest of us – the little people – who are just as important in shaping the world in which we live. That's really what makes genealogy so interesting.
And thanks to the internet – and especially sites like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org and EllisIsland.org – it's easier than ever to find your ancestors and learn their stories.
But what Gates' show has really gotten me interested in is DNA testing, which often challenges people's notions of their ethnic backgrounds. I know that half my DNA is Italian (Piedmont, Liguria, Friuli, Campania), a quarter is German (Rheinland) and a quarter is English. Or do I?
Well, AncestryDNA is going to help me confirm or deny this understanding of my roots. Will I have Asian genes? A connection to the native peoples of the New World? Sub-Saharan African? Do I have ancestors who were Jewish? I'd typically reply "no" to all of these, but "Finding Your Roots" has made me less certain and more eager to find out.
In a few weeks I'll have my results and will follow up here. Now, pardon me, I have to go spit my DNA into a plastic vial.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
