Immigration: The First and Last Big Challenge in Genealogical Research

 

Immigrants on Ellis Island. Photo by William H. Rau. Public domain.

Ultimately, almost all genealogists and family historians will have to confront identifying the place of origin of an immigrant. In the United States of America, sooner or later going back in time, even those who claim Native American ancestry ultimately were immigrants from some other part of the world. In some cases, research ends with a lack of records long before the immigrant is even identified. What is an immigrant? The best definition is a person who lives in a country they were not born in. The status of the person in the country of arrival may affect the records that are available to identify the immigrant but the genealogical research issues remain essentially the same. 

This is the first and last rule of immigrant research:

All immigrant research begins in country of arrival NOT in the country of departure. 

Here are some frequently asked questions. 

How do I know if my ancestor was the immigrant?

Although there are situations where records run out before you identify the immigrant, in many cases the immigrant is identified by records in the country of arrival. For example, United States Federal Census records for the years 1850 shows the person's country or state of birth. Although this information may or may not be accurate, it is one indication of immigrant status. Some other types of records that may disclose immigrant status include military records, vital records, school records, family Bibles, and many others. 

How do I know if my immigrant ancestors change his or her name when the came to country of arrival?

There is still a persistent myth that the United States government or other governments around the world change the names of immigrants. This is not the case. Changes in the immigrants name can come from mistakes in transcription, decisions made by the immigrant, a desire on the part of the immigrant to appear more like a native, and many other reasons. Sometimes, the immigrant's name was merely translated into the language of the country of arrival. Some name changes are obvious but others take a great deal of research into multiple source documents. 

Do passenger lists help identify the immigrant?

A passenger list may provide the crucial information about an immigrant and identify others who were traveling with the immigrant but don't be confused about the difference between the port of departure and the ultimate place where the immigrant resided in the country of departure. Common ports of departure such as Liverpool, England and Hamburg, Germany are not usually the place of origin. 

Does the United States of America have immigration records?

The answer to this question is both yes and no depending on the time of arrival. Before 1882, there were no immigration laws in the United States. On August 3, 1882, the forty-seventh United States Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1882. It is considered by many to be "first general immigration law" due to the fact that it created the guidelines of exclusion through the creation of "a new category of inadmissible aliens." Before that time, a immigrant could essentially walk across the border and take up residence in the United States. 

What if my ancestor was a refugee? 

Presently, in the United States, refugees have a special legal status but many refugees, such as my ancestors who took refuge in Mexico, had no legal status at all. Identifying the country of origin can become complicated when the country no longer exists as a country. This is particularly true in areas of the world such as Europe where national boundaries have changed extensively. 

What do I need to know about the country of departure?

Knowing the name of the country of departure is just the beginning. Remember, many people have the same names. In most cases, accurate identification of the place of departure must identify the town, neighborhood, or even the farm or house where the immigrant lived in the country of origin or departure. 

Where can I go to find out how to do immigrant research?

I always have the same two suggestions for learning about doing immigrant research: The Family History Guide and the FamilySearch.org Research Wiki. Both of these resources have country by country articles describing the immigration research process with links to other resources. 

When it gets down to the solving the immigrant problem there is no substitute for learning the history, geography, and culture of your ancestor's place of departure or origin. Immigration research can be the ultimate challenge for genealogical researchers. Oh, and don't forget DNA testing, although the ethnicity reports are still developing, you may get some indication of the origin of your ancestors that will help.