Ep 5. Immigrant Nation

In the fifth episode of the fourth season of Finding Your Roots, entitled "Immigrant Nation," host Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores the family trees of three well-known American immigrants. In tracing the roots of journalist Maria Hinojosa, chef Aaron Sanchez, and author and cultural critic Yascha Mounk, Gates uncovers the stories of their ancestors' journeys to America and the challenges they faced along the way.

Gates first delves into Hinojosa's ancestry, beginning with her maternal great-grandfather who immigrated from Mexico to Texas in the early 1900s. He was a railroad worker who faced discrimination and was eventually killed in a workplace accident. Through genealogical research, Gates uncovers the story of Hinojosa's paternal great-grandfather, who was a Mexican smuggler known as a "coyote" and facilitated the migration of Mexicans across the border into the United States. This discovery leads to a conversation with Hinojosa about the complexity of immigration and the impacts that border policies have on families.

Next, Gates turns to the ancestry of Aaron Sanchez, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 1970s. Sanchez is surprised to learn that his paternal grandfather was actually born in the United States, in a town that was once part of Mexico. He also discovers that his maternal great-grandfather was a faience artist who immigrated to Mexico from Europe and established a successful ceramics business.

Finally, Gates explores the roots of Yascha Mounk, whose Jewish family fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Mounk discovers that his paternal grandfather was a prominent physician who pioneered new treatments for tuberculosis and survived internment in a concentration camp. His maternal grandfather was also a physician who escaped Nazi Germany and established a new life in the United States. Mounk reflects on the difficulties that his family faced as immigrants and the importance of remembering their stories.

Overall, "Immigrant Nation" is a moving exploration of the immigrant experience in America, told through the stories of three individuals whose families hail from Mexico, Europe, and beyond. Through research and personal anecdotes, Gates highlights the diversity and complexity of the American immigrant population and the struggles and triumphs that characterize their journeys.