Tia & Tamera Trace their Bahamian Roots

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Photo by: Tia & Tamera

It took a bit of sleuthing but Tia and Tamera eventually tracked down relatives to tell them about their great-great-father's journey from the tiny island of Eleuthura, armed with nothing more than a suitcase, his 16-year-old wife (the sisters' great-great-grandmother Cecilia), and a job waiting for him in the US. "The most life-changing moment of the entire trip for me was when I saw my great-great-grandfather's picture on the paperwork," says Tia. "Pictures and paperwork don't lie! It all became so real to me. It was beautiful to see how handsome he was. I know my family is from the Bahamas, but it didn't feel real until I went there." For Tamera, seeing a picture of her great-great-grandfather had an equally profound effect. "I had never seen a picture of him or met him because he passed away before I was born. It turns out that he was so much older than my great-great-grandmother. I never realized that. He was at least 23 years older than she was. That was just so mind-boggling to know he took a 16-year-old girl to the United States with him, got married and started a family. That was incredibly shocking because I never would've thought that."

For a quick tour of Tia and Tamera's trip to the Bahamas, check out the photo gallery. For more quotes, and to watch clips from the episode, visit their page on mystyle.com.