Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 50 minutes ago
00:00 – Opening: The feeling of guilt and responsibility
01:25 – Introduction: American identity and personal family stories
02:39 – My Grandpa’s passing and the decision to take DNA tests
04:13 – The moment the results arrived: A car trip discovery
04:55 – Not a match: Realizing my uncle and aunt were half-siblings
05:40 – The revelation: My Grandpa was not my biological grandfather
Processing the Fallout
06:02 – The emotional aftermath: Guilt, regret, and anger
06:44 – The hardest part: Deciding whether to tell my Mom
07:21 – Deleting the tree: Reacting to a "broken branch"
07:58 – How I told my parents (and the Dunkin' Donuts talk)
09:12 – What is an NPE? (Non-Paternal Event)
09:50 – Looking through a different lens: Faith and reconciliation
Healing & Rebuilding
11:23 – Redefining reconciliation in a broken family tree
11:53 – Dealing with the "Guilt of the Messenger"
13:26 – Handling "Bad Apples" and missing branches
14:38 – My Mom’s perspective: "He is still my dad"
15:13 – Using a "DNA Angel" to find biological family
16:22 – Rebuilding the family narrative and respecting boundaries
17:50 – Finding beauty in the Brokenness: The story of Joseph
Ancestry & Legacy
19:11 – Looking at the bigger picture of Legacy
20:25 – The gift of learning from ancestors' mistakes
21:26 – A look at my current research project
22:25 – The story of Romauld Anan: My 7th Great-Grandfather
23:29 – Connecting the past to the present: Why I am here today
24:33 – Final thoughts: Patience, closure, and the "real stuff"
When you dig into family history, secrets and heartache come with the territory. The real question? How do we handle them – do we reveal what was hidden, or let some stories rest?
✅SUPPORT NYTN CHANNEL
👕 NYTN Merch: nytonashville.com
☕Send me a coffee!: ko-fi.com/nytn13#linkModal
📱 Connect on Patreon: patreon.com/NYTN
► 📝 My Free Weekly Newsletter: nytonashville.com/connect
▶Download the first section FREE of my "Be a Good ancestor" course here:
nytonashville.com/shoplola/be-a-good-ancestor-course-digital-download-videos-bjks6
FOLLOW ME 📸
► YouTube: / @NYTN
► Facebook: / facebook.com/findinglolafilm
► Website: nytonashville.com
► X: / twitter.com/ImFindingLola
OTHER VIDEO PLAYLISTS
► Melungeon + Redbones: youtube.com/watch?v=LyLd8rizXCQ&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hS0duqgK5mkBh_9aqIpbooI
► "Who Counts as..." Series in the US: youtube.com/watch?v=yUbLF-tgbB0&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hRisWeiK9K5E8X7asZdz4X1
► Italian American Experience: youtube.com/watch?v=mGCvUFF4-_M&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hRqNP0hfcOXGRuhqgJ0nPZ1
► Mexicans youtube.com/watch?v=IwJyAwnx39Y&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hSU0OWM1p4QUln0iBpI77wf
► Enslaved Ancestor stories youtube.com/watch?v=uAxyz0q0A4s&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hQxDnyRTah5wYRX9b4FSrqR
► My family story of white passing : youtube.com/watch?v=SQp7jeNp_yg&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hQcox9CjaJWA7QKTYXw9Zn2
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Come join me on a new docu-series that explores identity, racial tensions in the South during the 20th century, and the unique experiences of those who historically called Louisiana home.
My name is Danielle Romero, and all my life, I have romanticized Louisiana.
Growing up in New York, it represented a place where I could step back the sepia-toned life of my great grandmother, Lola Perot, who died before I was born.
Now, it was time to go back to Louisiana--although I had no idea what the truth would be or what questions to ask---who was Lola really? Who were we?
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If buy something through these links, we may earn affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting this project!
00:00 – Opening: The feeling of guilt and responsibility
01:25 – Introduction: American identity and personal family stories
02:39 – My Grandpa’s passing and the decision to take DNA tests
04:13 – The moment the results arrived: A car trip discovery
04:55 – Not a match: Realizing my uncle and aunt were half-siblings
05:40 – The revelation: My Grandpa was not my biological grandfather
Processing the Fallout
06:02 – The emotional aftermath: Guilt, regret, and anger
06:44 – The hardest part: Deciding whether to tell my Mom
07:21 – Deleting the tree: Reacting to a "broken branch"
07:58 – How I told my parents (and the Dunkin' Donuts talk)
09:12 – What is an NPE? (Non-Paternal Event)
09:50 – Looking through a different lens: Faith and reconciliation
Healing & Rebuilding
11:23 – Redefining reconciliation in a broken family tree
11:53 – Dealing with the "Guilt of the Messenger"
13:26 – Handling "Bad Apples" and missing branches
14:38 – My Mom’s perspective: "He is still my dad"
15:13 – Using a "DNA Angel" to find biological family
16:22 – Rebuilding the family narrative and respecting boundaries
17:50 – Finding beauty in the Brokenness: The story of Joseph
Ancestry & Legacy
19:11 – Looking at the bigger picture of Legacy
20:25 – The gift of learning from ancestors' mistakes
21:26 – A look at my current research project
22:25 – The story of Romauld Anan: My 7th Great-Grandfather
23:29 – Connecting the past to the present: Why I am here today
24:33 – Final thoughts: Patience, closure, and the "real stuff"
When you dig into family history, secrets and heartache come with the territory. The real question? How do we handle them – do we reveal what was hidden, or let some stories rest?
✅SUPPORT NYTN CHANNEL
👕 NYTN Merch: nytonashville.com
☕Send me a coffee!: ko-fi.com/nytn13#linkModal
📱 Connect on Patreon: patreon.com/NYTN
► 📝 My Free Weekly Newsletter: nytonashville.com/connect
▶Download the first section FREE of my "Be a Good ancestor" course here:
nytonashville.com/shoplola/be-a-good-ancestor-course-digital-download-videos-bjks6
FOLLOW ME 📸
► YouTube: / @NYTN
► Facebook: / facebook.com/findinglolafilm
► Website: nytonashville.com
► X: / twitter.com/ImFindingLola
OTHER VIDEO PLAYLISTS
► Melungeon + Redbones: youtube.com/watch?v=LyLd8rizXCQ&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hS0duqgK5mkBh_9aqIpbooI
► "Who Counts as..." Series in the US: youtube.com/watch?v=yUbLF-tgbB0&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hRisWeiK9K5E8X7asZdz4X1
► Italian American Experience: youtube.com/watch?v=mGCvUFF4-_M&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hRqNP0hfcOXGRuhqgJ0nPZ1
► Mexicans youtube.com/watch?v=IwJyAwnx39Y&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hSU0OWM1p4QUln0iBpI77wf
► Enslaved Ancestor stories youtube.com/watch?v=uAxyz0q0A4s&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hQxDnyRTah5wYRX9b4FSrqR
► My family story of white passing : youtube.com/watch?v=SQp7jeNp_yg&list=PLvzaW1c7S5hQcox9CjaJWA7QKTYXw9Zn2
--------
Come join me on a new docu-series that explores identity, racial tensions in the South during the 20th century, and the unique experiences of those who historically called Louisiana home.
My name is Danielle Romero, and all my life, I have romanticized Louisiana.
Growing up in New York, it represented a place where I could step back the sepia-toned life of my great grandmother, Lola Perot, who died before I was born.
Now, it was time to go back to Louisiana--although I had no idea what the truth would be or what questions to ask---who was Lola really? Who were we?
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If buy something through these links, we may earn affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting this project!
