Problem finding Grandfather's naturalization documents

[legnoduro]

Ciao a tutti,
I have found my grandfather's (Giuseppe Di Pasquale) manifest dated March 30, 1911. I also have his 1920 (Newark, NJ) and 1930 (Elizabeth, NJ) census. On the 1920 census he is identified as an alien and on the 1930 census he is identified as NA, which I understand means he was naturalized. Because of the dates of these two census documents I assume that he was naturalized between 1920 and 1930. I made a request through the National Archives and Records Administration and they responded by saying that they were unable to find any record of him. By the way, on both of these census documents he claims 1903-04 as his arrival date. This discrepency between his reported immigration date on both censuses and the actual manifest date confuses me. Could this mean that perhaps the NA on the census report of 1930 could also be incorrect? Do the manifests usually show a date when the request for naturalization was made?
Is there a way to research the actual request for naturalization? If the NARA can't locate the record, where do I go from here?
Thank you,
Joseph

[Benito512]

I am not certain about NJ, but when I researched the naturalization of my great-grandfather in Chicago, IL, I discovered that people who were naturalized before one date, which I can't remember at this moment, have their records in one location--the federal location. Those, however, naturalized after the date that I cannot recall have their records stored in the city and county of naturalization.

This may not give you the specifics you need, but perhaps from others' comments and from some more research, you can stumble upon the location of your ancestor's naturalization records.

Buona fortuna,

Benito

[PeterTimber]

Dear Legnoduro the USCitizenship and Immigration services has copies of naturalziation records from September 27, 1906 thru April 1, 1956.

There is also an index of naturalization of WW1 Servicemen 1918 located at Footnote.com (paying website).

You may wish to go to www.USCIS.gov/portal/site.uscis and then clickon citizenship for more information. I hope this helps. =Peter=

[suanj]

On the ship's manifest are not the naturalization marking.... he was born in Deliceto the 13 Mar 1886 and in WWI draft registration card is "no declarant"
in 1952 he made a trip in Italy:
New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Giuseppe Dipasquale
Name: Giuseppe Dipasquale
Arrival Date: 21 Jul 1952
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1886
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Naples, Italy
Ship Name: Saturnia
Search Ship Database: Search the Saturnia in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Nativity: Italy
Line: 5
Microfilm Serial: T715
Microfilm Roll: T715_8181
Birth Location: Italy
Page Number: 214
http://img177.imagevenue.com/img.php?im ... _514lo.jpg

and seeming no US citizen...
best regards,
suanj

[liviomoreno]

You may wish to go to www.USCIS.gov/portal/site.uscis and then clickon citizenship for more information. I hope this helps. =Peter=

The above link is broken...

Maybe the correct spelling is http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

[legnoduro]

Thank you all. Suanj, I have the copy of his arrival in 1952 from a trip to Italy. I noticed that the first entry was shown as a citizen but none of the following entries. Do you think this means no one on that manifest was a citizen of the US or does the first entry mean the following names were also citizens? I have also tried to search for his possible first entry into the US in 1903-04 because he stated these dates in both the 1920 and 1930 census. It seems unlikely that he would have made a mistake on both since they were taken ten years apart. The date of entry for my grandmother and aunt and uncle is accurate on both census. How do I prove he was never made a citizen?

[suanj]

the first ship's manifest are no markings of naturalization; this is enough; the trip of 1952 are no US citizen wrote ; only the first of list have it... you can prove that he never US citizen because the naturalization is not in Nara and the NARA no found him naturalization... ! so no naturalized... just my idea... regards, suanj

[legnoduro]

I thought I would update everyone on my research with the National Archives and Records Administration. I made a second attempt through the NARA online feature only changing the date range of my grandfather's naturalization. I just received an email that the document had been found and a copy was shipped to me this afternoon. I want to thank all of you for your help.

Joseph

[PeterTimber]

Thanks for the url adjustment livio. I did not think it made any difference..but it did thanks. =Peter=

[suanj]

I thought I would update everyone on my research with the National Archives and Records Administration. I made a second attempt through the NARA online feature only changing the date range of my grandfather's naturalization. I just received an email that the document had been found and a copy was shipped to me this afternoon. I want to thank all of you for your help.

Joseph

great!!!! happy for you!
suanj

[legnoduro]

Ciao a tutti,
I just received from NARA my grandfather's petition for naturalization. Next to two children's names is the abbreviation " DO" in place of the "place of birth" and the "place of residence" this abbreviation "DO" also appears next to the address of one of the witnesses. Does anyone have an idea what this abbreviation means?

Thank you,
Joseph

[legnoduro]

I just discovered that the "DO" is an abbreviation for ditto. Does anyone know if these copies are filled out by clerks at the NARA using the original document? The reason I ask is my grandfather declared 5 children and they are listed by age and place of birth. The problem is that my aunt and father's birth dates are reversed, and my father's name is written as Josephine, his name was Joseph. The handwriting, except for the signatures of my grandfather and his witnesses, is with a different pen and in a more modern script. I can't believe that my grandfather would have made such an obvious mistake. Does anyone have any experience with this document?

Thank you,
Joseph

[VaDeb]

Joseph,

NARA is just a custodian of documents that have been given to them to archive. They do not create documents. They provide copies of records in their possession and can "certify" a copy to show that it is a true and original copy. Someone, please correct me if you have seen otherwise, but I have not ever come across a document that was created by NARA.

My guess, regarding the declaration, is your ancestor like so many was not able to read the document that was filled out for him. He just provided the information verbally and the declaration was completed for him. The person completing the declaration may not have spoke Italian.

Debbie

[legnoduro]

Debbie,
Thanks for the reply! My initial reaction was that he didn't see the error. My grandfather was literate both in Italian and English so that is why I find it hard to believe he let this type of error slip by. My concern is will this effect the proof of direct ancestry and how do I get this corrected so I can use this document to prove jure sanguinis citizenship?

Joseph

[VaDeb]

Joseph,

I think you have a difficult task. From everything i have read, there is no correcting naturalization records. They are what they are. NARA definitely won't be able to correct a record as they are only a custodian of the records entrusted to them. Perhaps someone has attempted to correct a naturalization record and will offer some help. Good luck.

edit: You may correct your own naturalization record. It is historical records that can't be amended.


Debbie