Necessity of Great Grandmother's US Birth Certificate?

[JCL]

Hello.

I am researching my eligibility for Italian Citizenship through my paternal grandfather.

My grandfather was born in the United States in 1923. His father (my great-grandfather) was born in Italy in 1896, came to the United States in 1913, married my great-grandmother - a US born citizen - in June of 1922. He filed his declaration of intention in October of 1922. My grandfather was born in Illinois in 1923, and then my great-grandfather became a naturalized US citizen in 1925 - two years after the birth of my grandfather.

According to the instructions provided by the Italian Consulate, the following will be required:

Category n. 5:

Paternal or maternal grandfather born in the United States, paternal or maternal great grandfather born in Italy: Italian
citizen at the time of your paternal or maternal grandfather’s birth.

1. PATERNAL/MATERNAL GREAT GRANDFATHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, from Italy;
2. PATERNAL/MATERNAL GREAT GRANDMOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE;
3. PATERNAL/MATERNAL GREAT GRANDPARENTS’ MARRIAGE AND DEATH CERTIFICATE;
4. PATERNAL/MATERNAL GREAT GRANDFATHER’S CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION;
If the above document is not available, please see all the information in “THE USA NATURALIZATION”;
5. PATERNAL/MATERNAL GRANDFATHER’S AND GRANDMOTHER’S BIRTH/MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE AND DEATH
CERTIFICATE (IF APPLICABLE);
6. FATHER’S AND MOTHER’S BIRTH/MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE AND DEATH CERTIFICATE (IF AVAILABLE).


I've already run into a stumbling block on #2 above. From everything I've been able to find so far, my great-grandmother was born a US citizen in Pennsylvania on or around July 23, 1903. I contacted the responsible county records office in PA (Northampton County), but they returned my search request "no record found."

When establishing jure sanguinis through my Italian-born paternal great-grandfather, how critical is it to have his wife's (my great-grandmother's) US birth certificate? I have their marriage and death certificates, along with my grandfather's birth and death certificates.

Thanks!

- Joseph

[mler]

I had a similar problem in that I was unable to locate my gm’s birth certificate from NYC (also non-line). It was not needed. However, this was at the NY consulate more than ten years ago.

It is not unusual for birth records from the early 20th century to be missing.

[JCL]

Thanks, mler.

I haven't contacted the Chicago consulate yet - I trying to gather all the relevant documentation first. I was hoping that since citizen is through paternal lineage, that my great-grandmother's birth certificate wouldn't prove to be an issue.

Interestingly, our family's oral history places my great-grandmother's place of birth in Pennsylvania, but I just uncovered a naturalization card that shows she may have been born in Italy as well, and wasn't naturalized until 1926.

I'll continue digging.

[mler]

The naturalization card may not mean she was born in Italy. If she married before the 1922 Cable Act was passed, she lost her US citizenship By marrying an Italian man. My grandmother was also born in the US but married my Italian grandfather in 1916, thus losing her US citizenship. She naturalized in 1929. Those were sad days for women.

[JCL]

Wow, I had no idea this was the case, and would seem to explain the situation I'm finding with my great-grandmother. She married my Italian-born great-grandfather in June of 1922, and the Cable Act didn't go into effect until September of 1922. Had they only waited three months!

Thanks again for cluing me in on this.

[JCL]

mler - you were absolutely correct! I obtained naturalization documents from the Circuit Court of Lake County, Illinois and they do in fact confirm your suspicion. My great-grandmother's declaration of intent and petition for naturalization clearly state "Act of Sept. 22 1922," which is a clear reference to the Cable Act (AKA the "Married Women's Independent Nationality Act"), which was enact on the 22nd of September, 1922.

It not only confirms her place and date of birth in Nazareth, PA on July 23, 1903, but corroborates the other details including the date of her marriage to my Italian-born great-grandfather (June 1922), his naturalization date (Oct 1925), along with the birth of their son - my grandfather - (May 1923) BEFORE my great-grandfather's naturalization.

Thank you so much!

Now... to track down my GGF's birth certificate from Bari.