Genealogy Travel in America (Part 1): Why Has Exploring Family History Become the Latest Trend?

This past summer, I was chatting with my Mexican-American friend, Hellen. She told me that since she was three years old, she hasn’t been able to travel anywhere outside the U.S.

At first, I thought she meant it was because of money, so I casually agreed that travel is expensive and time-consuming, and tried not to go on about all the perks of traveling. But she shook her head and explained it wasn’t about money. It was because of the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) law. Even though she’s lived in the U.S. for over twenty years, she doesn’t have formal legal status, and what she really longs for is to “go home.”

By “home,” she means returning to the place where she was born — her original roots, her Mexican heritage.

“I’ve been connected to the U.S. for twenty years now, but I still can’t say which city I call home. I’ve learned to accept that this ambiguity is just part of my life. For me, home doesn’t exist in one place. But not being able to set foot back in Mexico feels like I’m missing the most important piece of my life,” Hellen said with a heavy sigh.

Later, we talked about the movie Coco, which beautifully explores the Mexican Day of the Dead and the journey of self-discovery. I was glad she liked it too — it made me feel closer to her in that moment, like I really understood where she was coming from. And I know there will come a day when Hellen embarks on a journey like Miguel in Coco — a journey to complete her family history and her life’s blueprint.

Hellen isn’t the only one searching for that sense of “home.” In fact, travelers like her are fueling a new trend in the U.S.—they are part of the growing community of “genealogy travelers.”

What Is Genealogy Travel and Why Is It Connected to Immigration History?

Genealogy travel — also called ancestral travel, ancestral pilgrimage, DNA travel, or family heritage journeys — is a way for travelers to get closer to their roots.

People who embark on genealogy trips visit places they know little about but that are deeply connected to their ancestors — the towns where their grandparents or parents were born or raised. It’s a journey to literally follow in their footsteps and rebuild a connection with those places. This experience offers travelers a profound emotional connection, blending cultural immersion with their own family heritage.

Genealogy travel has grown into a global industry. It thrives especially in countries with histories of mass migration and large diasporas. Take Ireland, for example — genealogy tourism peaked around 2000 when over 100,000 genealogy travelers visited the island (the Irish Tourism Board stopped tracking the numbers after 2004, so current stats are unknown). Historical mass migrations, like the Gold Rush, silver booms, transatlantic crossings, or urbanization in China, all represent waves of people moving from one region to another.

The U.S., with over 45 million immigrants—making up 13.6% of its population—is the world’s top destination for migrants, mostly from Mexico. The U.S.-Mexico border remains complex and tense, and many, like Hellen, long for “home” but can only wait.

People who migrated for all kinds of reasons — immigrants, refugees, wanderers — each journey redraws the lines of identity. These lines are not just physical moves from one place to another. They’re also inner adventures between homeland and adopted land, between original culture and newly learned ways, a collision of contradictions and reconciliations that ultimately create a “new” self.

Having immigrated to the U.S. three years ago myself, I often feel torn between two worlds. Sometimes, the more I miss Taiwan, the more I feel out of place in America. And the more I immerse myself in American culture, the more I fear forgetting Taiwan. Multiply that feeling across the many different backgrounds, ethnicities, and identities in the U.S., and some feel divided into three or four parts.

This is why many people who leave their homelands suffer from “cultural bereavement”—the grief experienced when losing social structures, cultural values, and cultural identity due to forced displacement.

The first time I read a poem by Rupi Kaur, a poet with an immigrant background, in her collection The Sun and Her Flowers, I felt both joy and relief — an indescribable sense of freedom:

they have no idea what it’s like
to lose home at the risk of
never finding home again
to have your entire life
split between two lands and
become the bridge between two countries
– immigrant by Rupi Kaur

It felt like someone who looks like me put into powerful words what I and many immigrant friends feel deep inside.

Why Has Genealogy Travel Become Such a Trend in America?

The history of genealogy travel in the U.S. goes back to the 1950s. From 1945 to 1966, cultural diplomacy was part of America’s Cold War strategy, involving cultural exchanges with other countries. European nations began attracting American tourists through heritage trips — what was then called “root-seeking.”

In 1976, Alex Haley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Roots was adapted into a mini-series aired on ABC, sweeping the nation with over 130 million viewers — the highest ratings ever for a TV show at the time. It told the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African youth captured and enslaved in America, and his descendants.

Kunta’s story sparked a cultural revolution: people bought memorabilia, named their children after characters, and ignited a global interest in genealogy. Over the following decades, it encouraged many African Americans to explore their roots and identity.

Back then, genealogy wasn’t as popular as it is today. When Roots aired, only 29% of Americans said they were “very interested” in their family history. In the past 30 to 40 years, that number has soared to 87% — nearly double.

This surge owes a lot to the internet and genealogy websites like Ancestry.com, which let millions of people easily access and explore historical records online. Ancestry grew from a small genealogy site to a public company with over 2 million customers and DNA records from more than 10 million people — one of the biggest genealogy platforms worldwide.

Since Roots, many genealogy-related TV shows have emerged: Genealogy Roadshow, Faces of America, Who Do You Think You Are?, and Finding Your Roots.

A recent documentary on Netflix, Found, tells the heart-wrenching stories of three Chinese girls adopted by American families during China’s one-child policy. Though emotional, it offers deep insight into identity and the longing for family.

Sociologist and anthropologist Jackie Hogan’s 2019 book Roots Quest: Inside America’s Genealogy Boom digs into why Americans are so fascinated with family history. Hogan points out that baby boomers retiring have more free time to explore their past — suggesting that genealogy travel’s rise also responds to major social changes shaping our lives.

No matter the form, Americans are obsessed with genealogy. Family history is described as the country’s second most popular hobby after gardening — and the second biggest online activity after pornography.