naturalization question

[tlisti]

I have just started the research on my family from Italy. I have alot of time, so I have gathered much of information, though it has been difficult (so far 4 different names on 4 different census -1900,10,20, & 30. I know they came into New Orleans in 1888, on the Utopia. They later moved to a town called Diboll, Texas, and eventually moved to Houston, Texas - where my great-grandfather finally settled on a name: Philip Lester. He started out in Italy as Felippo Listi and his wife was Maria Rosa Spinelli. It is obvious that he didn't speak or write any English at the time, hence all the different last names (I was able to track because they had 12 children...and I was familiar with their names).

As to naturalization...on the 1900 census, he is showing Na, in 1910, Al, in 1920 Pa and 1930 Na. This leads me to believe that there was a mistake on the 1900 census - maybe he didn't understand the question he was asked. I can't find any Naturalization information - with the exception of an alien registration card for Rosa. Where should I go to find out more about when and where he naturalized?

[corrado]

Ah the census as all of us will tell you is a good starting point, but not to be taken as fact! It is self reporting, which usually means its accurate but there could be other factors, like what the reporter would like to say and who knows a 10 year old could be the one reporting. There are discrepencies in birth dates, citizenship and everyting else. It is to your advantage perhaps if you can not find the naturlaizaion records.

This is a rite of passage finding the census is not always acruate, welcome to the club! psst I have fond tombstones that are not accurate

[Tessa78]

This is a rite of passage finding the census is not always acruate, welcome to the club! psst I have fond tombstones that are not accurate

Love this!

And...I have also found incorrect information on tombstones...

T.

[tlisti]

Okay, but would the presence of an original alien registration receipt card for his widow (he died in March 1940), which must have been filed sometime in 1940, prove that he never really naturalized? I mean, if he naturalized, then wouldn't his wife have been automatically naturalized, giving no reason for her to file as an alien?

[corrado]

After 1926 ( about) the wife did not become a citizen when the husband did.

[tlisti]

So you think that he would have had to naturalize after 1926, then she would have had to file as alien after his death in 1940, because she wasn't automatically naturalized (if he naturalized at all)...
In that case...if my grandfather was born in 1905, one could tell that, if naturalization did take place (by GGF), it would have been AFTER his birth. Do you see this, or am I over-simplifying it? ... I have her original Alien Registration Receipt Card that proves she was not a citizen in 1940.

[johnnyonthespot]

It's entirely logical, but I doubt the Italian government will buy into it.

You should get going as quickly as possible with a USCIS Index Search as this is the ultimate location for naturalization-related records for the period beginning September 27, 1906.

Start here http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/ ... 2ca60aRCRD and click the "Order Online Now" link at the top right of the page. Select Index Search and click Next at the bottom. When you get to the "Immigrant Information" page, be sure to enter all of his known names as type "Other Name" as well as the names of spouse and children.

You can also give the National Archives a shot. The National Archives is both an inexpensive and fast way to check for naturalization docs; unfortunately for many parts of the country, NARA only holds naturalization records from the federal courts. Start here https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonl ... chives.gov and click Order Reproductions, then Immigration & Naturalization Records. There is no charge unless they find a record and only a very reasonable charge if they do ($7.50 for non-certified, $22.50 for certified copies).

If you share more detail on Filippo/Philip (date of birth, and year of immigration for starters), one of us may be able to turn something up.

PS: The Italian spelling would be Filippo. Felipe is, I believe Portuguese; I don't believe Felippo exists in any culture.