Norah O’Donnell Shocked by Irish Grandmother’s Immigration Story on Finding Your Roots | Ancestry®

[@AncestryUS]

Many of us hold powerful stories of immigration in our families. What interesting fact have you learned about your family's journey to a new country?

[@HelenMarieOC]

My Great-Great-Grandparents met on the boat from Hamburg to Aotearoa NZ when they were both teenagers and married 2 years later, presumably when she was of age. He was travelling alone - under his mother's surname for an unknown reason, perhaps avoiding the oncoming Austro-Hungarian war - and she was with her parents and siblings. It was a long journey back then, long enough to fall in love i guess! 😍

[@WendyDarling1974]

My grandfather snuck into this country in the '20s and was illegal until the '60s. He had been a teenage soldier in the German army in WWI and his town and country were decimated economically and physically. He didn't rectify the matter for years because he didn't want to be sent back to Germany and/or somehow seen as an enemy threat. He held a steady job with responsibilities and contributed to society by paying taxes, collecting rubber and metal for use in the WWII war effort (against his native country), etc. I can't possibly blame him for getting out. And in the same way I can't blame today's undocumented immigrants, whether they came years ago or recently. They are often escaping something terrible.

[@jeffschrade4779]

Your grandfather came here illegally and you were accurate in describing that. But the people who come here illegally aren't "undocumented." They too are here illegally. They know what they are doing. Let's stop tip-toeing around it.

[@ethanahmu6149]

@@jeffschrade4779 she’s not tip-toeing around anything. The word undocumented means something similar to “illegal” in terms of citizenship, but to most people it means the same thing. If we want to be specific someone who illegally immigrates does so by obtaining false identification, whereas someone who is undocumented has no documentation (real or fake). Most folks prefer the word undocumented because it’s a broader term and isn’t as vilified as the term “illegal citizen”.

[@glendathegoodwitch6987]

@@jeffschrade4779 Also, there is a welfare system in place that supports them when they have children, which is the motivation.

[@ronviejo4994]

Your grandfather didn't come here for the SOLE purpose of leaching off of the American Taxpayer. He worked for a living and paid his bills AND his dues. Those that are arriving here today have no intention of working or contributing anything thing at all to our culture and society. They don't even want to assimilate here much less learn the American English language. I have spoken to several "immigrants" in the last 24 months as I live in south Texas. Ever single one of them asks the same question, in fact it's the first thing out of their mouths...."Where do I get my money?" Like it or not, believe it or not, there's a world of difference between your grandfather and the human garbage entering our country as we speak.

[@blackeyedsusan727]

​@@glendathegoodwitch6987 That's bollocks, and you know it.

[@loose-arrow-garage]

Nora O'Donnell hit the nail on the head when she said: "I think very few people would look at Nora O'Donnell on the CBS evening news and think her grandfather was an undocumented immigrant"!

[@jeffschrade4779]

No. Here family was not "undcoumented." The records are clear. They were documented as being here illegally. They worked through the process and become legal immigrants eventually. Undocumented implies they simply, innocently showed up without the right paperwork -- or any paperwork. The fact is, like nearly every illegal immigrant, they knew what they were doing. Let's face that reality.

[@xblueberryicex]

@@jeffschrade4779 Paper trail or not the man was here ILLEGALLY. The white-splaining is unnecessary and kind of sad/funny as well. Norah gets it, but you don't... Also, based on this clip we don't know whether her grandfather was documented (we only know her grandmother was documented-- although we can't be sure of any accuracy given her history of falsifying docs) so he could have very well slipped through the cracks. Not sure how you concluded he was documented but It's not surprising you would say that given the tone (agenda?) in your reply.

[@dcpack]

So? What is your point?

[@mr-vet]

@@jeffschrade4779 the colonists from Europe did not have permission from the Natives to this land to come here………

[@seanm3226]

@@mr-vet The “natives” had no uniform, organized country. Who were the British going to get permission from?

[@arleneshanley9889]

Yep. She nailed it. I have researched my genealogy and my family seems largely uninterested, mainly because it smacks in the face of the idea they are somehow different from any other immigrants, legal or otherwise.

[@amyconway9035]

My family doesn't like it when I tell them my dad's side may not be Irish. Dad's side of the family has been here in the US since 1690. We can't find anything farther back than that.

[@readmeup4402]

@@amyconway9035 since 1690 thats before the American revolution! So basically, your father is more American than McDonalds

[@agf1700]

@@amyconway9035 1690 Wow that’s pretty far back! Wish I could trace my ancestry back that far. We’ve only gotten as far as 1843 when my maternal great great Grandmother was born in the midst of the Irish Famine.

[@amyconway9035]

@@agf1700 The 1850s is about as far back as we can get on my mom's side. They were mostly German immigrants. We found them on the ship rolls but lost them when trying to go back any further. It would be hard to find documents in Ireland from the mid-1800s. The English controlled Ireland and couldn't have care less about the people there.

[@nalokitten]

I actually know a lot undocumented Irish and other immigrants. It's more common then people think.

[@pfv1247]

Norah O' is photogenic and so beautiful.

[@andykane9866]

Yeah I dunno why her name is ó when it should be norah né ,, in irish ó means son of né is daughter off the surname .

[@sharone.langley2923]

@@andykane9866 Maybe O'Donnell is her name as a public person. Or, since traditional American naming customs give the same surname to all children regardless of gender, maybe O'Donnell is her last name. IDK. But, it would be an interesting question to ask.

[@SineaddeFaoite]

@@andykane9866 that only applies when actually when the name is in Irish. Doesn't apply in English. And also, it's ní not né.

[@SineaddeFaoite]

@@sharone.langley2923 it's ní not né and the differentiate between o and ní only applies when the name is being spelled in Irish. My surname is White but in Irish it's de Faoite, etc.

[@margaretpratt5963]

My great grandmother’s lie on the census was that she was English & Church of England. Her children and grandchildren did not know she was Irish Catholic. It took two cousins to help me research the truth. The emails were flying back and forth.

[@kai-yo-tay8962]

My 2x Great Grandfather was fresh off the boat from Oslo, Norway and settled down in Mobile, Alabama with his wife and kids. From what I gathered from my grandmother he was a nice person and had a very thick Norwegian accent. To this day I do not know his parents, hopefully someday I will know.

[@AncestryUS]

We’d love to help start your journey to discovering more, Kai-Yo-Tay! A great place to begin is by heading to www.ancestry.com/s114216/t45957/rd.ashx

[@BlackbirdBandit]

I'm from Norway and know how to search records. Do you have a name and date of birth and I can take a look?

[@kai-yo-tay8962]

@@BlackbirdBandit Bernard Burns (4/19/1883- 8/4/1957) Born in Norway and died in Mobile, Alabama. He is buried in Magnolia Cemetary, Mobile, Alabama, USA.

[@kai-yo-tay8962]

@@BlackbirdBandit BTW my grandmother told me he was from Oslo, but personally I don't know where he's from in Norway

[@BlackbirdBandit]

@@kai-yo-tay8962 Hi! Do you know who Pearl Pryor is? She has a family tree where Bernhard Ingvald Burns Senior, married to Nellie Madeline, born in Oslo but his father Johan Burns from Sweden, is featured. Maybe you are related? Burns is not a norwegian name or a swedish name. They must have changed it when they arrived in America. Can't find anyone born on that date in Norway named Bernard, Bernhard, Bernhardt. Maybe contact Pearl Pryor and ask her what she knows. She is on facebook and lives in Rockmart, Georgia.

[@USNveteran]

My maternal grandmother came to the U.S. in the early 1900's from Ireland. She told me the stories of going through Ellis Island and what the trip on the ship was like. I am so glad to have heard those stories first hand. There was already some family here that had made the trip before her, and from what she told me it was quite a bit of paperwork & physical exams before she was allowed entry into the U.S. FLY NAVY!!!

[@pennychurchward1481]

I have many Irish Ancestors who travelled to the US in the 1850-1880s. Brennans from Dublin and Horkans from Co Mayo. Major -General George Hokan is a relative whom I found when searching my family tree. Hello to all my relatives in the US from Australia.

[@tinamarcum6170]

My four times great grandmother came over from Ireland as an indentured servant. Had my four times great-grandfather not bought her out of servitude for $100.00 (which I'm sure was a huge amount of money then) I would not be here.

[@jeffreycater5447]

It’s amazing of all the random happenings that caused you to be here. My great grandfather moved away from their previous home because his mother remarried after his father died. 2 months later the home was destroyed in the Halifax explosion.

[@trishr.3986]

My mothers mother came from Finland in the same manner. Nice way of saying slave, depending on the household.

[@ee1234-c6p]

My great grandfather also lied on his papers when he immigrated from Ireland. He claimed to be the child of other relatives or family friends. I still don’t know exactly why, but it was definitely interesting to learn!

[@Bellerophon17]

Maybe the relatives/family friends in question were already in America and he thought it might improve his chances of his immigration being accepted?

[@ee1234-c6p]

@@Bellerophon17 I am pretty sure that’s it, I just haven’t found documentation to prove it. I think the “father” was already naturalized and I am hoping to find that paperwork one day. It was interesting because my great grandfather used his real last name on his marriage/church documents but went by the “father”’s last name otherwise.

[@Bellerophon17]

@@ee1234-c6p Your great grandfather thought nothing of lying to US immigration, but lying to God would be another matter 😂 My great grandmother went to New York but came home (to Clare, Ireland) after a year or so. I was told she just didn't like it there, but now I'm wondering if she may have been sent back or something. It's cool to think about anyway.

[@ee1234-c6p]

@@Bellerophon17 haha, exactly! That’s interesting about your great grandmother - It definitely could be that she had a hard time with the process, but I also imagine it could be really lonely. My great grandpa came first and then very slowly over the next couple decades he brought some siblings over - I wonder if your great grandma was first to come over in her family?

[@Bellerophon17]

@@ee1234-c6p That's a possibility - I think she had other siblings over there, but I'm not really sure about the chronology. I have always wondered why, because it can't have been easy/cheap to just decide to return, back around 1900. I have never heard a story like it anyway.

[@BORN-to-Run]

Norah is so Gorgeous! Thank her grandparents for not leaving her in Ireland.

[@williamdolan3599]

The O’Donnell clan were lords of Donegal North Ireland. For centuries they fought vigorously against the British takeover of Ireland. Red Hugh O’Donnell fought at the battle of Kinsale and Yellow Ford. The Irish Chieftains later lost the battle of the Boyne, which resulted in the occupation of Ireland by the Brits. The O’Donnell name is one of the main Irish resistors to the occupation of Ireland. Along with the O’Neill, McGuire, and McCaffery clans.

[@BORN-to-Run]

@@williamdolan3599 Awesome history, William, thank you.

[@simshill295]

This should make people think deeply about immigration… we all are from somewhere else. Let us not forget where we all came from … Great show.

[@Jordi_Llopis_i_Torregrosa96]

No it shouldn't, her grandmothers' citizenship was revoked and she should've been deported, just like all illegals today. What? You thought this is going to make people think "oh we should let all illegals stay!!!!"? Nah, good effort though!!!

[@StrongnBeautiful]

Not all of us. There were already people and civilizations here when the colonizers came.

[@imaginelovepeaceandhappine3281]

@@StrongnBeautiful I was thinking the same thing. A lot of people say we are all descendants of immigrants. Immigrants came over for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, a better life. Force Immigration is not the same as willing immigration..

[@jayburris6252]

I’m from here. I’m not from somewhere else.

[@lulu7777ist]

Yes, you are correct...the Native Americans - who were called Indians.

[@imaginelovepeaceandhappine3281]

She has her grandmother’s pretty eyes.

[@the_original_public_newsense]

I just found out I'm almost equal parts North American Indian and Irish, just slightly more Irish whereas we thought we were more NA. The Irish was a complete shocker as I was always told I was French and Indian. I have no one to share it with as my siblings are totally disinterested. One I'm told "isn't buying it". Can these possibly be wrong? If it's true, I'm beyond elated as I've always had a love of Ireland, folklore, movies, etc.

[@mjw12345]

"In the small town of Midleton in County Cork, Ireland, there's a sculpture that commemorates the Choctaw Nation's contribution titled ." You may like to do web search. Connections Native Americans and Ireland are being enriched in recent decades although Eamon deValera, a leader in the 1916 Rebellion, subsequent president 'illegal' parliament, travelled the USA 1919 and was made a chieftain of the Choctaw Nation.....you'll find a lot with online search.

[@aaaah9568]

U need to confirm that with DNA before u going around saying ur native

[@the_original_public_newsense]

@@aaaah9568 Not sure whom you're talking to, aaaah. If me, I have a Bureau of Indian Affairs blood quantum certificate from my birth. It's called a CIB, Cerificate of Indian Blood.

[@WaffleCake-q7d]

It's likely generally correct. Do some further research and connect with DNA matches on the website and you'll establish some distant familial connections and you can put the pieces together. Embrace whatever the outcome is! Do another DNA test with another company to verify. Also do you have genetic Celtic physical characteristics? Ie do many of you and your siblings have blue eyes? Not definitive of course but blue eyes are dominant in that region. Light/pale skin tone etc

[@robertjyles4999]

Full show of this episode on KZbin would be nice on a Sunday.

[@Brian-os9qj]

Wow, I got chills. Real history unfolds.

[@joefromravenna]

My own great grandmother ran from a marriage in Europe to America. She remarried in America, and likely no divorce was ever granted in Europe.

[@pleaseenteraname1103]

My great great grandmother immigrated to the United States from Germany in the late 1800s and it took her a while to get her citizenship.

[@latsnojokelee6434]

There was quite a backlash against German immigrants around that time. One of my distant relatives actually change the spelling of our German name so people wouldn’t confuse him with recent immigrants.

[@carthy29]

Sailing from Ireland to the US back in the day, it was $1 USD cheaper to go to Boston than NYC, which explains why so many ended up in Boston

[@carthy29]

56 people signed the decleration of independence, 9 were irish born, and to this day i need a feckin visa if i want to move to the usa, George washington " eire though friend of my country in our most friendless days " giving thank to the thousands of irish born who fought and died on american side in the war of independece

[@doriwilson6991]

We cannot find any records that tell us how, when or where my Irish immigrant family members came to America. My mom does genealogy and it's stumped her. I told her that most likely the immigrated to Canada and then came into America that way. Especially when I know my grandmothers family lived in Minnesota which is as far north as you can get before you hit Canada.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, Dori. Thanks for your comment. We know some family history research can be very difficult. Your reasoning about your family immigrating sounds reasonable. It would be great if you could find the immigration records. Do you know if your mother has had her DNA tested? We have an article that has some tips that you may find helpful. support.ancestry.com/s/article/Overcoming-Roadblocks-in-Your-Research

[@doriwilson6991]

@@AncestryUS yes she and my father had their dna test done. She has been in touch with distant relatives that are still in Ireland and they said that the records have been either destroyed or lost.

[@AncestryUS]

We're so glad to hear that she had her DNA done, Dori. We know it is hard when records are destroyed. We hope she was able to get some information from her relatives in Ireland.

[@latsnojokelee6434]

Don, My family came from Ireland and settled in Frampton, Canada. It’s near Quebec. You might start there because there was a whole area of Irish immigrants who settled there. Then, as the area became far more French, a lot of the same Irish moved out to Minnesota. They were enticed to go out there by the locals who put ads in papers. A lot of people got land in Minnesota by buying the land off of Civil War veterans. Some veterans were given money instead of a pension but they didn’t want to move to Minnesota so then they sold off the land that the government has given them.

[@Stretch-bh8pd]

I can trace from myself back to my 5th great grandfather arriving in the U.S. in Philadelphia September 19, 1738 on a ship named “The Thistle” coming from Rotterdam and then Plymouth, England. 2 men named, of which one was supposedly his father and the othe an uncle, took the Oath. But I believe both men were actually uncles. Stories say they were from Cologne, Germany. I have found baptism records from the area which if correct, shows different parents for my 5th great grandfather. I may never know beyond these records the rest of my history.

[@AncestryUS]

That's incredible, Stretch! Thanks so much for sharing this piece of your history with us! We wish you all the best in your research and hope that in time you are able to learn more!

[@Stretch-bh8pd]

@@AncestryUS but how can I trace the ship to Plymouth, England? Is there something I can find on that ship stopping at Plymouth? I have read “Year of Destroying Angles”, The Emigration Season of 1738 by Klaust Wust, which gives fascinating detail of the Hope Firm contracting 8 ships to transport Palatines to America. My goal would be to find the records of that ship back to Rotterdam and try to find where they were originally from in Germany. Records indicate Cologne.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Strech, we know what it feels like to come up against a brick wall when doing research. We have an article on our support site with research tips and additional free resources that may be of some help, support.ancestry.com/s/article/Overcoming-Roadblocks-in-Your-Research?language=en_US

[@Stretch-bh8pd]

@@AncestryUS thank you! I think I’ve looked through it before! My brother and I have taken dna several years ago. I think I’m at a standstill unless I were to physically go to Germany and search church records…🥴

[@matthewdavidlandberg91588]

Most of my Irish relatives came from the west coast of Ireland (Eire), in Dublin & N.Ireland (Which is a part of the UK).

[@sharonmchugh7730]

The West Coast is Galway

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for sharing with us!

[@williamdolan3599]

The North of Ireland is not a part of the U.K. It’s a part of the Irish Republic! Conquered by the Brits. And repopulated with Scots and English blanks.

[@chrisquirke5235]

Ireland is Ireland everything all of it

[@robinboucherwonderfulflight]

​@@chrisquirke5235From the center to the sea.

[@StrongnBeautiful]

LOVE Nora O'Donnell! She won my respect with her George Flyod coverage. 👌🏾 She's really what's up. 👍🏾

[@Sean-jc6cu]

It's called pandering lol

[@StrongnBeautiful]

@@Sean-jc6cu You're pandering right now. Happy to hold up that mirror 😉

[@Sean-jc6cu]

@@StrongnBeautiful 😂 You have no clue what you're talking about.

[@Me-xj6wx]

All black people want to talk about is race

[@RickMahoney2013]

I love this show

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for watching, Rick! Who's been your favorite guest so far?

[@RickMahoney2013]

@@AncestryUS That is a very hard question. Each week I learn something about all the new quest but maybe Tony Danza but if I looked back again on all the shows I would find someone else story the best. Just maybe mine would be great to tell lol.

[@anthonyodonnell6105]

Ancestry is a good service. No big surprises in my case, though a couple of cases of undocumented fatherhood in the extended family. My Irish grandmother emigrated from Ireland to Scotland. Then my parents went from Scotland to England, then we all went to the U.S. Some interesting details emerged about further generations back, with relatives from parts of Ireland I hadn't known about. Also connected with a guy whose grandfather was my Irish grandmother's uncle. A fascinating exercise, all in all.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Anthony, it sounds like you have made some interesting discoveries while researching your family history.

[@anthonyodonnell6105]

@@AncestryUS Yes, it helped that I knew a bit about my immediate forbears. Ancestry was spot on, unlike some other services. It's an interesting and enlightening journey to see one's derivation. One realization is the error of thinking in terms of one's surname or single lineage. It's obvious and yet odd that one is related equally to every grandparent in a given generation, and of course the number double with each one.

[@sunnidey7963]

‘I call that a loving fib’ ❤️❤️❤️

[@ORGANICsoulJAZZ]

"Sometimes we forget where we came from" wow

[@user-hr6lo8yt6x]

this show is always so interesting

[@AncestryUS]

There's always something new to discover!

[@katrinaassoumou6400]

Thank you. Amen

[@joecasey8202]

So,his granny didn't just walk into America after she was denied? That's the way the immigration system is supposed to work. The population of American was less than half of what it is today, a little different whether you say so or not.

[@pyropylon98]

she and her husband were already in the US when her application was denied. it was hard to deport people back then so they just stayed until they were able to get legal residency.

[@courtneyholland6215]

What an amazing story I found some interesting information on my great grandfather a document I been trying to solve for 6 years now

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for sharing your journey so far, Courtney- we do hope you'll find answers to the many questions you must have about your great grandfather. We hope you'll consider AncestryDNA as a tool for finding some of these answers!

[@courtneyholland6215]

@@AncestryUS the document I found has his name and said Indian, prisoner of War it's his immigration card

[@amremnant]

Nora is a class act and she's so pretty. Love her.

[@AncestryUS]

We hope you enjoyed the video!

[@patrickhyde6125]

Whether you are married or single is not material to any eligibility requirements to becoming a US citizen, nor was it ever. Your citizenship application is between you and the US government. If the citizenship was revoked or "cancelled," the revocation was illegal.

[@HeatherValentineMsFoodie]

TRUTH!!!! We are all humans with the right to love and happiness I WISH EVERYONE WOULD GET THIS! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ComradeStiv]

This woman, good grief 😳 Brilliant, warm, compassionate . . and stone cold stunning 💔

[@NicoleHRRCP]

So what happened to the grandmother‘s first husband then?

[@marydonohoe8200]

Mr O’Donnell was her first husband. He was the undocumented person. She simply did not acknowledge her marriage to him when she applied for citizenship. That’s my understanding, anyway! 😉

[@Romeoleus]

The first husband was the same and only husband. She just lied about being married to him.

[@scottfranson4215]

11,336 views • Mar 8, 2022 • Many looked up family history before DNA technology .To see the future of these processes will be intriguing if done honestly . She has a Very good looking family hopefully this wakeup call will work for us all. Thank You ,for bravery of this kind truthful Man to set face to face and explain the truth . I have seen no one debunk His Work. A High raised Bar .

[@yikes7963]

I've been hearing disparaging remarks about immigrants and immigration ever since I can remember. I'm 50 this year. We all came from somewhere else except for indigenous folks.

[@Sean-jc6cu]

They also came from somewhere else lol

[@stephanieyee9784]

I'm not American buy love watching all these shows and WDYTYA. I've never watched the Canadian ones though as I know few Canadian celebrities apart from famous Canadians who live in the US. Jim Carrey, Ryan Reynolds etc.

[@AncestryUS]

It's great that you're enjoying these videos, Stephanie. Have you had the chance to look into your own family history so far? 🙂

[@barbveenstra8625]

Wow! Who would have thought!

[@AncestryUS]

It's amazing what you can learn when it comes to your Family History!

[@cliftonmcnalley8469]

My paternal great grandfather abandoned his wife and 5 children because he was worthless. This resulted in my grandfather being enslaved from age 8 to age 16, when he escaped. I believed my entire life that my paternal side of the family got here courtesy of a free boat ride during the Irish potato famine. Seemed to be the only logical explanation as no one had any other explanation. Then Dad and sis ran their DNA. A cousin got in touch. Turns out, we're Scots, not Irish. Our last name is misspelled due to my grandfather's illiteracy. AND we got here before the Revolutionary War because that immigrant grandfather was an actual Revolutionary War hero. Sis and I could qualify for the DAR! Who knew? Amazing how easy it is for just one bad egg in the genealogical pool to cause so much despair.

[@KristinaUSA-x5n]

Sounds like you might be related to my dad's family and a lot of that seemed to happen.

[@jackmcnally9237]

Clifton mac.nice one !

[@cliftonmcnalley8469]

@@jackmcnally9237 You know we're most likely kin somewhere down the line!

[@donnapoolejackofalltrades7827]

I am still looking for my brother that my mom Ed out .I did Two DNA test so far .

[@somewhereupthere785]

It drives me crazy that this show isn't on Netflix....or Prime....or Tubi.....or Disney+.........

[@mylesrahill1948]

it is not shown in this clip, but it turned out that Norah O'Donnell and Henry louis gates, JR are cousins.

[@dja1353]

my favourite line from the movie The Glass Wall, delivered after a slap: your father was a dirty foreigner!

[@4gma59]

OR, you can look at it this way: If she hadn't lied, everything may have worked out sooner regarding her citizenship. I don't care how 'loving' the lie is, it's never right to do the wrong thing.

[@user-pb2kg1ng4g]

4gma59 : 'It's ok to break the rules if it creates value'.

[@anthonyodonnell6105]

@@user-pb2kg1ng4g creates value for whom?

[@user-pb2kg1ng4g]

​@@anthonyodonnell6105 For self and others. 'What's good for the goose is good for the gander'.

[@anthonyodonnell6105]

@@user-pb2kg1ng4g Sometimes true, sometimes not. Raises a question about the rule of law as well.

[@user-pb2kg1ng4g]

@@anthonyodonnell6105 The key words are 'creating value'. The result of which may take some time to appear - like justice. A short-term view, it may appear that the action of 'breaking the rules to create value', is somewhat limited.

[@quadog9019]

Norah O'Donnell what a stone cold fox. Always had a huge crush on her.

[@samiam3015]

She’s so beautiful

[@tenbroeck1958]

My mother's people were Potato Famine immigrants. My mother is a pale redhead. She was attracted to my father because he looked dark and exotic in her words, however, he was actually a Welsh guy. You must be really white to find a Welshman as "dark and exotic"! This was awesome. Diolch yn fawr Dr Gates.

[@Sean-jc6cu]

Well, white people can be very different phenotypically. Not all whites are pale skinned.

[@dublingirl1470]

​@Sean True dat! My grandfather was white English and had black hair, brown eyes and olive skin

[@galaxyzoogaming5415]

i wish i could get help with my story

[@AncestryUS]

We'd love to help! Head to www.ancestry.com/s120433/t45174/rd.ashx to get started on your Family History!

[@galaxyzoogaming5415]

@@AncestryUS its Norwegian ancestry, family "secret" my great aunt was the daughter of the Norwegian king. also, Scottish ancestry, moving from some part of Scotland to Canada

[@heatherlee863]

I'm a bit confused by this one. Did she have two husbands? One she left in Ireland and one in the US? Or did she pretend to be single so they didn't ask her about her husband who was already (illegally) in the US

[@yankie]

that was confusing to me as well

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Heather! For more on Norah's story, we recommend checking out the full episode through www.ancestry.com/c/finding-your-roots

[@loriminnesota]

She was married here in the USA but told immigration she was single because the man she married was here illegally.

[@Suri-o7w]

I had been a fan of news anchor Peter Jennings for many years and had watched many news anchors on ABC channel 7 male and female ever since his death ...but just here lately 2023.. I am getting familiar with Norah O'Donnell on CBS evening news and I am telling you...she is indeed gorgeously beautiful and so intelligently smart and filled with wisdom and knowledge so glad I switched networks ❤️❤️‍🩹 ❤️❤️‍🩹

[@123malichi]

As long as you had the fare and someone to vouch for you you could travel to America!

[@harrietwoolever6180]

Yes. My Scottish grandparents both had the names of people they were going to stay with on their immigration cards. I looked at them as 'sponsors'. Probably not the correct term.

[@Straightleg55]

Some guys are easily shocked....

[@johnogo7886]

So how can I learn more about my real father who I never met?

[@demondogmom7221]

In the US, living relatives are problematic. Many records, like the census isnt publicly released for a certain period of time... it's like 50 years, i think. The easiest thing to do would be to take a DNA test and see who pops up. Or do some internet searching if you have his name and age. A past location helps.

[@ilovegames9053]

A DNA test on ancestry may help in finding cousins to find connections to more information about your father. When you do let us know how it goes.

[@KatShoebox]

@@demondogmom7221 Hi, census records are released every 72 years in the US. The next one up is 1950, which will be released on April 1, 2022. :)

[@AncestryUS]

We'd love to help you get started on your journey to understanding your DNA and family! The AncestryDNA® kit may be a great guide to begin with: www.ancestry.com/s114216/t45957/rd.ashx

[@kai-yo-tay8962]

I would also try looking at your last diseased distant cousins find a grave page if they have one. They usually have the Obituary listing their current living family.

[@claracastillo8673]

Wow. “Yes, we all come from somewhere and sometimes we forget where we come from” 🤔

[@loualcaraz6497]

It doesn’t change my opinion of Nora. She’s fine AF!!

[@mjw12345]

Love Norah - tune in nightly but can I request in god's name that she refrain from an 'editorial' response on I guess half the news stories. This type of input on evening news items is improper, borders on unprofessional - it's doesn't help that her 'editorializing' is mostly insipid.

[@karenwaddell9396]

Totally agree. Give me 20 minutes of real news. I’ll make my own opinions.

[@jrpacer6355]

Oh lord compared to what goes on today trying to get in this country....Small potatoes right no big deal

[@THEMCMLXXXVI]

She looks a lot like her grandfather!

[@robertstevens1537]

that was really great.

[@melodyiscraycray8648]

Henry used the phrase "illegal immigrant." Is that permissible?

[@AncestryUS]

Connections and new discoveries are waiting! Head to Ancestry® and save up to 50% on special Family History offers NOW: www.ancestry.com/s120433/t45174/rd.ashx

[@billpenrod6415]

Nora looks like her grandma.

[@cherylharewood6125]

Except for the sovereign people(Native Americans)everyone are immigrants. Thanks for the reminder.

[@latsnojokelee6434]

True, however if you go super far back the Native Americans in the United States actually are related to the original Japanese and Mongolians.

[@loriminnesota]

None of our ancestors are actually from here, and that includes the Native Americans.

[@anthonyodonnell6105]

There's a difference between settlers and immigrants, though both indeed come from a different place.

[@theodorearaujo971]

We did not limit immigration (other than for the Chinese) until 1914. If her grandparents came to the US before that they were not illegal immigrants or undocumented.

[@Sean-jc6cu]

That's false. The Know Nothing Party was notorious for limiting immigration of Irish Catholic immigrants. 50,000 Irish immigrants from Massachusetts alone were deported.

[@ntl5983]

@@Sean-jc6cu He knows nothing about the Know Nothings... and he confuses European immigration through Ellis Island with the Mexican border (it was actually 1917 when the US government started to issue border crossing cards for Mexicans, because of the Zimmermann telegram).

[@jonesba2004]

Actually, it’s pretty romantic. I bet there’s a good movie in more of their life.

[@AncestryUS]

We'd definitely be interested in this movie!

[@xangpee8271]

Lool early 20th and it's the Irish who are known for being the illegal immigrants.

[@jeannawelton6874]

I love you guys Yep Human community

[@Sayitlikitiz101]

An ex of mine, who's African American, would say to this: "It's alright, cause they're all Whites!". It used to bug me to no end when he pointed out things like that, but I came to realize how true that is in the last couple of years! 🤔

[@jesssandhu9432]

😐 African Americans always drag themselves for attention when someone else has it. We're speaking about the Irish right now - go find a BLM post for that lol

[@Sayitlikitiz101]

@@jesssandhu9432 I can say whatever I want wherever I want. I'm American and have this freedom! And I think you miss the point of this video being about illegal migration and race. I would say something more but I think you're a bot or just a troll looking to gaslight and I already gave you more attention that you deserve. I am not black but I stand for BLM.

[@Jordi_Llopis_i_Torregrosa96]

nah you didn't come to realise anything, you came to let others let you become ashamed of who you are, and it's disgraceful Also it's very funny because Irish people at this time weren't even considered white and she very likely got her citizenship revoked because of her Irish origin, yet you cry about white privilege, sod off BBC lover

[@Jordi_Llopis_i_Torregrosa96]

nvm you have an Ukrainian flag in yout KZbin banner, holy absolute tool

[@Stacey_-bf2mb]

Illegal immigration is just a political tool. As we can see, immigrants have been coming here illegally since the start, and most get away with it. Ireland, Mexico, China, it doesn’t matter

[@markcombrinck-hertz3649]

hi mark

[@AndyX1337]

Wow....some times we forget were we are coming from. :(

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Felipe. We hope you enjoyed this clip. The article below will address what you can expect from Ancestry. Please let us know if you have any questions and we'd be happy to help! support.ancestry.com/s/article/Why-Use-Ancestry

[@kellymurphy2471]

I bet if you go all the way back, you'll find all types of undocumented and not just the Irish.

[@silencedflower8441]

Henry., I found out that we are related. Uí Néill.

[@channelhandle]

First come, first served.

[@Raptor-bt6zp]

Norah should move back to Ireland, maybe they will teach her how to tell the truth

[@sean864]

She looks like her grandmother

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for sharing!

[@victorethridge5796]

Back in those days, that was not common

[@dpharr100]

The news propagandist lady

[@beverleyarscott8589]

My ancestry is brick making on both sides traceable back to 1752. Worthy but boring.

[@anthonyodonnell6105]

"An honest man's the noblest work of God." -Alexander Pope

[@TonyODonnell]

Hey Cousin, how you doing...........

[@seanmcnamara1267]

Check your history and you will know who you are!

[@manofiske3318]

Nothing really unusual about this 'story'.

[@raynash4748]

She is a VERY mean person off camera.

[@jayapalsambasivan4809]

🙏🙏💔

[@jayapalsambasivan4809]

🙏🌹

[@ilyesdh2819]

Where is the kordish

[@WillpowerAviation]

Goes to show you that a lot of y'alls family can here illegally and when arriving was giving opportunity and with little discrimination.

[@CoolhandLukeSkywalkr]

This lady is apparently going to lose her job because of her offensive behavior while at work. I guess she's extremely stuck up.

[@mjw12345]

Seems you're prone to BS - some source please!

[@dcpack]

Man, the silly amount of dramatic hyperbole on this show...

[@eleanormedina6703]

Illegal immigrants come in all colors the next time she looks at brown...

[@karlhungus5554]

Terrible personality, but she's beautiful.

[@lmtt123]

So she only had one set of grandparents?😂 Ridiculous

[@commonsenseisntcommon1776]

How many immigrants lie about facts today?

[@RogerKomula-kl9lb]

Funny how it's OK for some people, but not any more.

[@Sean-jc6cu]

It wasn't okay back then either

[@bobdelaney3126]

I love Norah

[@butchbinion1560]

✌️👊

[@markupton3482]

Lawdy, aye iz sooo graytefull theyt "The System" ia forgivewn folk! Yawzzduh!!! Got tah git back to wurk own massuh playntashun now!