5/7/08 The email that started it all

Dear Relative,On April 27th, 2008, I attended the 50th wedding anniversary of Harold and Felicita Sanchez in the home of their daughter in New Jersey. Some of us conversed about the many changes in our lives over the last fifty years but the younger generation were more enthusiastic about placing us seniors in the family tree. As a historian I've had a long career following the family histories of others but never our own. This email is therefore intended to begin the dialog about the Familia Sanchez/Sanchez Family in the U.S. for starters.Of the many children born to Emilio and Manuela Sanchez of Aguada, Puerto Rico, four anchored the family tree in NYC and made their homes there. These core families came in the 1920s: Fernando y Venera Sanchez; Perfecta y Abdon Ruiz; Antonio y Elisa Sanchez; and Julia y Willie Gonzalez. They raised and educated their children in close proximity to one another, and from time to time welcomed their siblings, nieces, and nephews to NY. If I remember correctly Harold's father, Millito, had come early on but returned and remained in P.R. when Harold was an infant. These core families bore children and grandchildren who today live throughout the U.S. and abroad and in time, familial connections were lost. Who are we? We are doctors, lawyers, pastoral care givers, health professionals; published authors, university professors, teachers, business people; artists, musicians, poets, illustrators; screenwriters, computer geeks, filmmakers, environmentalists, and scientists. We may be living in the same towns and don't even know one another.Thus, this email is only a beginning. If you want to pursue further communication, creating a facebook or a blog, or website, or even planning a family reunion in the future, then stay tuned. If not, then just delete. Many email addresses are missing but this message will reach at least one of the core families' second generation. You can write to the above addresses to make corrections, introduce yourselves and your families, and indicate what you think of all this. I look forward to hearing from you.Hasta pronto,carinos, Virginia Virginia Sanchez Korrol, Ph.D.Professor EmeritaBrooklyn College, City University of New York