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Over 25 million Italians have emigrated between 1861 and 1960 with a migration boom between 1871 and 1915 when over 13,5 million emigrants left the country for European and overseas destinations.
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DeFilippis78
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Need more help

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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...

Post by mler »

I haven't found anything more about her than you have, but I think the odds are that she died in Italy (perhaps in childbirth) before Beniamino emigrated. They would have been married 8 years by 1992, and it seems unlikely that they would not have had children during that period. No Ellis Island listings for her either.
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...

Post by DeFilippis78 »

I was thinking the same. I know how common it was to die in childbirth. I thought he probably lost her and possibly a child and that was one of the reasons for coming to America. Your on a roll today!!

Alicia
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...

Post by mler »

But, Alicia, if you are trying to apply for dual citizenship, documenting his whereabouts during those years will not be necessary. You will need to obtain his birth certificate, of course, and evidence from NCSIS and NARA that he never naturalized. I don't know if Philadelphia will require a census, but I tend to think not.

You have his death certificate, and you may need to amend his birthdate. If his son's birth certificate identifies him as the father and Giuseppa as his mother, you are good to go. You may want to get an affidavit signed by family members--the older the better--stating that he did not marry the mother of his child.

Do not, under any circumstances, mention a first marriage. That will complicate matters.
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by mler »

If they did marry, the marriage document might show that it was a second marriage. In that case, the death certificate for Giuseppa's husband will be very helpful.
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by Roccella »

If you really think you need her death info, you can see if the Family History Centers have microfilmed your ancestral town's records. You can pay a small fee to have a copy sent to your local FHC, and page through them till you get to your time period.

I agree with the other poster that said you probably won't need it though.
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by mler »

. . . and if you do need a census, you will need the 1910 one, and I believe you have that. The 1900 census is not important because your ggrandfather was born in 1906. If the 1910 census shows Beniamino was not naturalized in 1910, it covers that year.
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by DeFilippis78 »

On his 1910 census it says he naturalized in 1890 although he came in 1892. So far state, county, and NARA have nothing. Im waiting on USCIS.

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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by mler »

I haven't seen a 1910 census, but on the ones I have seen, there is no date given for naturalization. The box next to immigration status is the year of immigration. Are you certain that the 1890 refers to date of naturalization and not date of arrival?

If Beniamino did indeed naturalize, you need to search for naturalization records. Check with NARA, which holds many of the declarations, petitions and oaths. I believe their office on Varick Street in NYC holds records for NJ as well as NYC.

http://www.archives.gov/northeast/nyc/

From their site:

Where can I find Naturalization Records?

Pre-1906:
Prior to 1906, any "court of record" (municipal, county, state, or Federal) could grant U.S. citizenship. As a general rule, the National Archives does not have naturalization records created in State or local courts. However, a few indexes and records have been donated to the National Archives from counties, states and local courts and are available as National Archives microfilm publications. See the list of this county and state microfilm available.
For pre-1906 naturalizations:

Contact the State Archives for the state where the naturalization occurred to request a search of state, county, and local courts records.
Contact the NARA regional facility that serves the state where naturalization occurred to request a search of Federal court records
Naturalizations After 1906:

And this is what you are hoping for:

After 1906, the courts forwarded copies of naturalizations to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

Naturalizations from Federal Courts are held in the NARA's regional facilities for the Federal courts for their area.
The National Archives in Washington, D.C. holds naturalization records for Federal Courts in Washington, D.C.
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by mler »

That's what I thought, and the USCIS letter is exactly what you need. If Philadelphia does not require census records--and they shouldn't because those records are often inaccurate--you should be all set. The 1900 census would not help because even if it lists Beniamino as "AL," it would still be possible for him to naturalize by 1906.
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by DeFilippis78 »

Im not sure if they require census records or not. Do you know? Why would it be impossible to naturalize before 1906? Thats my main concern, that the consulate might say" hey he came here 1892, how do you know where he lived and if he naturalized between then and 1906"

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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by mler »

I would NOT have been impossible for him to naturalize during that period. That's why it is important for you to get as many "no record" letters as possible. Since he came in through NY, possibly married in NY, and died in Jersey City, he would have naturalized, if he did naturalize, in those places. NARA could not find evidence of naturalization in either NARA, Hudson County, or NYS, so the odds are you will also get a "no record" letter from USCIS.

These letters should be enough to prove that Ben was still Italian when his son was born. In recent months some of the consulates have been asking for census records as additional confirmation. This is an unfair practice IMO because census records are notoriously inaccurate. Philadelphia has a reputation for being reasonable, and I think you will be ok with what you have.
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Re: Beniamino has been found for me...need more help

Post by DeFilippis78 »

Oh I misread...I thought you said NOT possible before 1906. Oops! Anyhow, the problem is USCIS doesnt have records prior to 1906. So there is a chance he naturalized before that and I just havent found the record. Now NY doesnt have records and Hudson County doesnt have records. What if he lived in another county in NJ thats close to NY like Passaic and Bergen? Should I get a search done on those counties just to make a better case for myself or would you think NY and JC along with probably a "no record" from USCIS is sufficient?

Alicia
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