Proving American patriotism by everyday rituals, such as saying the pledge every morning in class or hanging a 5-foot-long American flag in the front yard are common habits of a truly, proud American.

However, Americans seem to spend a good deal of time searching for their real home countries.

“I think it’s more like a cool hobby to find out your past, but it doesn’t seem that important,” freshman Alexia Tanner said.

The more people know about their family history, the more likely it is that people care about it and its impact on their lives.

“Since my dad is from England, sometimes we travel there, and I get to know some of the culture,” junior Alan Baird said.

Physical traits often distinguish where someone’s ancestors came from. How much it matters depends on the individual.

“I have some Irish in me, and it gives me red hair,” junior Justin Hibbard said. “It’s probably the only thing I get from it. It was interesting learning about where I came from, but other than that I don’t really care.”

In a survey of Stockbridge students, five of ten students did not care about their heritage. However, there is evidence showing that the number of people who are searching for their family roots is increasing. Ancestry, a company encourages exploring family history, gives people the opportunity to find out about their heritage through a DNA test. According to the website, their subscriber base grew by approximately 150,000 in 2015.

“I use Ancestry all the time,” local historian Lila Fedokovitz said. “Particularly, I see more people interested when their parents die, and amazingly you would be surprised how many people at that time discovered they may be adopted and never knew it.”

Besides seeking for relatives, users are also interested in finding out about their medical history.

“It helps you with medical issues. Particularly, you can find out if there is a heart problem, diabetes, and almost every doctor asks you if you have any family members that have medical problems,” Fedokovitz said.

With today’s research methods, Americans are not only able to find out their medical history but most importantly their answer to their family origin.