As part of my continuing education, I'm listening to DearMyrtle's Tracing Immigrant Origins Hangouts on Air. This week's assignment: Post a blog or create a Google Doc with an immigration or naturalization paper that mentions your ancestor. In my previous family find post, I wrote about my grandmother's journey to the United States and the information found on her ship's passenger list. So I now know exactly when she arrived in the United States. But, when did she become a citizen?
Although the passenger list stated she was heading for Chicago, I know through other research (census records and city directories that she eventually settled in Oswego, New York. Since that is much closer to my home, I started there. The Oswego County Records Center website lists their holdings and they include: "Naturalization Records - Available beginning in 1829. Records from 1829 - 1906 contain only minimal information. After 1906, the complete naturalization records are available up to 1957." Since my grandmother arrived in 1913, there was a good chance I might find her complete naturalization packet so I made the trip.
Within the Records Center, there was a medium sized filebox that contained index cards by last name so I could quickly flip through to see if my grandmother had records here. I found her card and presented it to the archivist on duty. She then pulled the information from another room, made a photocopy and presented me with the following record which I will forever cherish:
Although the passenger list stated she was heading for Chicago, I know through other research (census records and city directories that she eventually settled in Oswego, New York. Since that is much closer to my home, I started there. The Oswego County Records Center website lists their holdings and they include: "Naturalization Records - Available beginning in 1829. Records from 1829 - 1906 contain only minimal information. After 1906, the complete naturalization records are available up to 1957." Since my grandmother arrived in 1913, there was a good chance I might find her complete naturalization packet so I made the trip.
Within the Records Center, there was a medium sized filebox that contained index cards by last name so I could quickly flip through to see if my grandmother had records here. I found her card and presented it to the archivist on duty. She then pulled the information from another room, made a photocopy and presented me with the following record which I will forever cherish:
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| Oswego, New York, Naturalization Records, 1829-1957; Certificate of Naturalization, Martha Gambino, 20 August 1943; Oswego County Records Center, Oswego. |
They did not have her entire naturalization packet which would have included her declaration of intent, but I'm grateful they had this certificate, especially with the priceless photo and signature.
What I learned from this document was that even though my grandmother arrived in this country at age 5, she did not become a citizen until age 34. She changed her first name to Martha which is a more Americanized version of Mattia. They provided a lot of descriptive information including eye, and hair color, height and weight, marital status and nationality. And, as one of my cousins pointed out when I shared this on Facebook, they listed her complexion as DARK even though her skin was porcelain white. Whether this was a clerical error or whether all Italians were listed as dark skinned is indeterminate.
There is one thing on the document which perplexes me so I will have to do a little more digging. In the bottom right corner the word "SPECIAL" is typed. I don't know whether that refers to the status of the Deputy Clerk or if this pertains to the document in whole. As per usual, finding answers always leads to more questions.
What I learned from this document was that even though my grandmother arrived in this country at age 5, she did not become a citizen until age 34. She changed her first name to Martha which is a more Americanized version of Mattia. They provided a lot of descriptive information including eye, and hair color, height and weight, marital status and nationality. And, as one of my cousins pointed out when I shared this on Facebook, they listed her complexion as DARK even though her skin was porcelain white. Whether this was a clerical error or whether all Italians were listed as dark skinned is indeterminate.
There is one thing on the document which perplexes me so I will have to do a little more digging. In the bottom right corner the word "SPECIAL" is typed. I don't know whether that refers to the status of the Deputy Clerk or if this pertains to the document in whole. As per usual, finding answers always leads to more questions.
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