Finding Your Roots

(upbeat music) This is a passenger record listing all the people who entered the Port of New York, on October 12, 1896. Arriving from Gibraltar, Antonio Gutierrez 47 years, married. Catalina 37 years, his wife. Gironima 14 years, daughter. Antonio 10 years, son. Emilia five years, daughter. So they came in through New York? That's the moment this part of your family entered the United States. October 12, 1896. And your great-grandmother Emilia, was just five years old. That's unbelievable. The day she stepped foot in America. When you talk about, sometimes, your ancestors, you might have a picture of them in your brain, but you don't think about their journey and how they got here. (somber music) -

Henry

Around the turn of the century, the United States was flooded by a wave of immigrants, in numbers almost unparalleled in recent human history. Some 10 million people found safe haven and hope on American shores. Jewish people from Eastern Europe. Italians, Austrians, Hungarians, Poles. All of them drawn in spite of their fears, by the promise of America, freedom, and opportunity. But it turns out that Rebecca's family didn't originally intent to come to this country. Burrowing through the pages of Emilia's handwritten diary, we discovered that Rebecca's ancestors arrived in America quite by accident. "After 20 years in Tangier, my parents made "a decision to leave for South America, but when we "arrived at Gibraltar, the steamer we were "leave on, had left. "So right then, they decided "to take the steamer that was going to leave "in a few hours for North America." (laughing) "Father said to mother, Kitty we are going to "the country we do not know, but I have heard it "is the land of opportunity." That is unbelievable. (laughing) The boat that they missed was going to Argentina. That's unbelievable. (laughing) Her father said, "I don't know about you. "I'm out of here." (laughing) I'm not staying any longer. - New York's fine. The land of opportunity, all right, right? I think it's a remarkable story. It's amazing. It's amazing, any little missed step along the way and I wouldn't be here. (upbeat music) -

Henry

It's always humbling to discover how our ancestors choices, laid the groundwork for the lives we take for granted.