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This project helped me focus more on what my identity is in relation to the society I live in. I believe it was helpful for me to learn more about my ancestory, the history of Danish immigration, my own cultural background, and what I learned about race and ethnicity growing up. The biggest insight it gave me was examining the way I was taught about "multiculturalism" as a concept, but not power dynamics and the priviledges the society bestows upon me. I believe this is key to understanding the construction of whiteness in our society, that it remains invisible to white people unless we work to uncover it. I think that the starting place for this type of understanding must be with your own background, which is why this assignment is important for white people in this class. If we do not understand what it means to be white in this society, we will have a hard time examining where we are positioned in society and where our own beliefs and views of people of color and ourselves stem from.
Gathering information was fairly easy for me thanks to the geneological work of my relatives. I did not have to contact any family members, because I already had all the materials and information I would need. I enjoyed the project and I think it was valuable to me.