Digging for roots in the boot
A few things I did to connect with my ancestors that might help you connect with yours
NOTE: Occasionally, I will post articles that are not specific to Italians in the Pacific Northwest, but are of general interest to all Italian Americans. This is one of them.
I know we’re past the midpoint of the first month of the year, but this is my first post of 2024 so it would be remiss not to wish you all a belated Buon Capodanno!
Many Americans are interested in researching their Italian ancestry and there are so many people, organizations, and tools to help. I thought I would include a bit about my journey, the tools I used, and some resources for others who want to delve into their own genealogy.
Over ten years ago, I started by building my family tree on Ancestry.com, and from there, I moved on to 23andMe to learn about my ancestry composition. Once the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, laypeople had much more information at their fingertips about the human blueprint, which has since accelerated the study of human biology and improved the practice of medicine.
After many hours capturing pages and pages of birth and marriage records deep in the bowels of my ancestral parish, I composed a family tree based on my mother’s paternal side using My Heritage. I had 11 copies made on archival paper and framed them under archival glass to protect it from sun rays. I shipped 8 of the trees to Italy, which was quite expensive (over $600 including insurance), but so worth it for the surprise and delight it caused among my cousins.
I’ve never attended any genealogy conferences, but thought I would do so this year. The group, Family Search, puts on an annual conference called RootsTech, the world’s largest genealogy conference. You can attend either in person or online, the latter being a free registration for all 3 days, February 29th to March 2nd.
For online registrants, they offer:
200+ new online sessions in over 26 languages
Join keynote sessions live from the comfort of your own home
Chat online with other attendees worldwide
Get digital syllabi and class handouts
Today, I attended a very informative meeting of the Italian Interest Group from the Eastside Genealogical Society. The topic, HANDS ON ITALIAN GENEALOGY AND DUAL CITIZENSHIP: DIGGING ROOTS ON THE GROUND IN ITALY, was presented by Alessandro Bovino (Bella Italia Genealogy), who dialed in via Zoom from Benevento in Campania, Italy.
With his company’s “roots on the ground experience”, he provided the group with much information about their services. He thoroughly covered everything from searching for names and dates to tracing ancestral footsteps and visiting still-living family members in old hometowns in Italy to even applying for dual citizenship.
Other companies similar to Alessandro’s often advertise in various newspapers and magazines, such as:
L’Italo-Americano—>the oldest Italian-American newspaper in the US
Italian America®—>the most widely read quarterly for people of Italian heritage in the United States, an organ of the Orders of Sons and Daughters of Italy in America
We the Italians—>a media company that helps everybody to share, promote, be informed and keep in touch with anything regarding Italy in general, and specifically Italy in the US
Ambassador—>a magazine put out by the Italian American Foundation
Primo—>the largest independent national magazine for and about Italian Americans
As a dual Italian-Canadian citizen, I have already applied and received an Italian passport, which is quite handy when traveling in Europe. Italian consulates throughout the USA can help you with this process. In the Pacific Northwest, you need to make an appointment with Elisabetta Valentini, the Honorary Consul, who is a volunteer operating out of the Casa Italiana Cultural Center in Burien, WA, carries out limited support activities compared to the Consulate General. The Honorary Consulate of Italy of the State of Washington, Idaho, and Montana belongs to the consular network under the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco. Be sure you read up on what services the Consul can and cannot help you with before making your appointment and double check that you have all the documents required when you arrive.
In our ancestral hometown of San Daniele del Friuli, I can’t tell you how many times I was asked for “documenti”, which are so important in establishing proper credentials and lineage. It also garners you respect when dealing with authorities.
I’ve been able to trace all four sets of my grandparents’ family tree to the mid-1600s on one side and early 1700s on the other. It is fortunate for anyone searching for vital records in our town that despite wars, floods, fires, and invaders, the parish priests were smart enough to hide the records in between stacks of sheets at the hospital. No marauders thought to look there and that’s why they were saved—grazie a Dio!
I haven’t availed myself yet of any official records at either the Town Hall (comune), where there are the Registro di Popolazione (family records) or requested a search of the regional archives, Archivi di Stato. These archives are typically located in the capital city of each region. In my case, those records would be in Udine, the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in northeastern Italy. There’s a great online database of Friulian families from 1846 onwards called Friuli in prin however, it doesn’t seem to work so well for female members of my family. Next time I’m in Italy, I will do my best to acquire copies of the actual handwritten records, which are more detailed versus the rather sparse one available online.
I hope this new year treats you well, whether you’re interested in conducting some genealogy about your ancestors or not. Try it, you must just be pleasantly surprised.
You can find additional information about Italians who immigrated to Idaho, Oregon, and Washington from 1880 to 1950 in my recently published book, ITALIANS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST (Arcadia Publishing).
Order now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, and Bookshop.org.