Our Family Journey Map

A Story and an Activity.

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First, a story.

Sometimes we use maps to find clues, take us from place to place, learn new things, or even find treasure. With this journey map activity, you’ll be able to gather some clues about your family’s history to learn about where they came from and even what they did back in the day.

When I think about my own grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings, there’s something special about acknowledging parts of our origin stories. My grandpa (Bapa) and my grandma (Nana) on my mom’s side both grew up in Hawai'i and moved to California after they got married at 23 and 20 (....times were different back then).

Photos seen on the wall of my Nana and Bapa's house in Carson, CA. The top left photo is from their wedding; they got engaged in Hawai'i where they both grew up and wed in 1955 at St. Paul's Cathedral in Downtown LA.

They raised their kids, including my mom, in Carson while staying involved in community activities in surrounding cities like Gardena. My grandpa still lives in the house where my mom and her siblings grew up, a place that our family still gathers - even in the front yard while socially distanced during quarantine. I know there are a lot of stories in that house and in that neighborhood that have shaped who my mom is, and have played an important role in my own upbringing.

Almost all of my family on my mom's side, celebrating my Nana and Bapa's 50th wedding anniversary at their home church, Gardena Valley Baptist. My mom and her siblings grew up attending this church.

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Next, the activity.

We've provided a fun, interactive activity for kids and adults alike to be able to ask their parents and grandparents to share some of their own family stories. I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of passing those stories onto the next generation recently and am excited to be able to do this with my own family. We hope folks of all ages have the chance to start learning more about their family’s journey with this interactive map - enjoy!

Click below to download this activity sheet!