by Lisa Cooke | May 22, 2012 | 01 What's New
What does it mean to be Latino? On May 19, 2012, the season finale of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the PBS TV series aired. It explored race and identity through the genealogy of some of America’s best-known personalities, and sought to answer that question. Through the family histories of actors Michelle Rodriguez and Adrian Grenier, and Linda Chavez, an author, syndicated newspaper columnist and political analyst for FOX News, viewers will discovered that Latino identity emerged from the tangled histories of European, Native-American and African peoples. (The episode is also available free to watch online at the Find Your Roots / PBS website.)
The three subjects of the episode all share Spanish colonial roots, yet each views their identity very differently: as Native American, Puerto Rican, Dominican or simply Latino.
At the helm of this series is Henry Louis Gates Jr. He holds a Ph.D. in English Literature, and is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, as well as the director of the W.E.B Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. He’s best known for PBS productions like African American Lives, Oprah’s Roots, and African American Lives 2.
In episode #133 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast I was fortunate to grab some time with this very busy man to talk about the final episode of this newest series, Finding Your Roots.
by Lisa Cooke | May 21, 2012 | images, Who Do You Think You Are?
Sad to say that it appears NBC is not picking up Who Do You Think You Are? for a fourth season.
| |
The Fly on the Wall blog is reporting that Ancestry.com posted the following comment about the cancellation: “We want to
thank NBC for their support of this terrific series, which over the last three
years has inspired many viewers to follow their passion to learn more about who
they are and where they come from,” said Tim Sullivan, President and CEO of
Ancestry.com. “We have a great partnership with the show’s producers, Is or
Isn’t Entertainment and Shed Media, and we look forward to exploring other
avenues of distribution.” |
If you missed last Friday’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, the full episode featuring Rashida Jones of Parks & Recreation is now available to view online here.
by Lisa Cooke | May 21, 2012 | images, Who Do You Think You Are?
Friday on the genealogy themed TV series Who Do You Think You Are?, Rob Lowe uncovered surprises about his family tree. Watch the full episode here. Plus, I’ve got two deleted scenes and a highlight below. And to top things off, get a sneak peek at the next episode featuring Rashida Jones, another star of NBC’s Parks and Recreation.
Fighting George Washington
Rob Lowe learns that his 5x great-grandfather fought against George Washington in the Battle of Trenton in service of Great Britain.
A True American Story
Rob Lowe shares with his brother Chad the fascinating discoveries he made about his ancestors and how they helped shaped the foundation of America.
Frightening Chaos
Rob Lowe tours the famed Battle of Trenton where his ancestor fought against George Washington and the American Revolution
Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones uncovers her maternal family history from Manhattan to Eastern Europe and uncovers the answers to her grandmother’s missing years.
What does it mean to be Latino? On May 19, 2012, the season finale of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the PBS TV series aired. It explored race and identity through the genealogy of some of America’s best-known personalities, and sought to answer that question. Through the family histories of actors Michelle Rodriguez and Adrian Grenier, and Linda Chavez, an author, syndicated newspaper columnist and political analyst for FOX News, viewers will discovered that Latino identity emerged from the tangled histories of European, Native-American and African peoples. (The episode is also available free to watch online at the Find Your Roots / PBS website.)
