La Mia Famiglia

Fish Soup-An Oral History Project at Mount Holyoke College

2011-05-25T07:01:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in an oral history project at my alma mater, Mount Holyoke College. The project has been in existence since 2009 and it very similar to Story Corps, another oral history project that has been recording the stories of Americans since 2003. Story Corps recordings can be heard every week on National Public Radio. I went to New York in

I'm Ancestor Approved

2010-04-25T16:16:00.004-04:00

It was so nice to receive an award from Amore e Sapore di Famiglia. It took me a while to accept my award and fulfill my obligations, but here I am. In order to accept this award, I/you must do the following:List ten things you have learned about any of your ancestors that has surprised, humbled, or enlightened you” Pass the award along to ten other bloggers who you feel are doing their

Jennifer's Video Update (in Italiano!) - April 25, 2010

2010-04-25T13:36:00.000-04:00

March 14th

2010-03-14T12:49:00.002-04:00

In case some of you were still wondering why I am so drawn to Spanish-speaking cultures, I have an answer for you: I was conceived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I have no Spanish or Latin American blood, as far as I am aware of, but many people who know me say, “You seem more “latina” than North American. For what it’s worth, I like to use the story of my parents’ trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico in

Genealogy, the Hot New Topic on Television

2010-02-11T20:37:00.006-05:00

In the past 2 days, I have learned about two new television programs that deal with ancestry and genealogy. One program, Faces of America, is a PBS series that features Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Gates interviews 12 renowned Americans who ancestral stories are researched and shared on the series. I saw the first episode last night and I can see I am going to be busy on Wednesday evenings for a

My StoryCorps Experience

2010-01-18T22:28:00.009-05:00

Kathy and I at the StoryCorps Story Booth in NYC.Some of you have asked me on Facebook about my experience at StoryCorps this weekend. I have a one word response: Wonderful!Now that I have done it myself, I am going to encourage you all to participate in this initiative because I feel even more strongly about StoryCorps now. Your story is just as important as the person next to you, so there is

StoryCorps, Here I Come

2010-01-15T18:26:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow I will go to New York City to record my ancestral journey on StoryCorps. If you are not familiar with StoryCorps, you should definitely check out this wonderful initiative that has traveled across the country recording life stories of different individuals and families. You may decide you want to tell a story too!A friend and colleague of mine heard my story back in November and she was

Breathing Life Back into My Work, and My Ancestors

2010-01-08T23:39:00.006-05:00

Photo Credit: Karen MeyeresKeeping this project alive all depends on my persistence. There are some days when this project has a life of its own and moves forward without my help (those moments are what I call “the treasures”), and then there are phases when I feel like if I don’t blow life back into my work, it will lose momentum and die. This feeling is particularly apparent when I feel less

My Citizenship Appointment

2009-12-22T23:02:00.002-05:00

I finally made my appointment with the Italian Consulate of New York. I still have significant work to do: ammend documents, obtain Apostilles, and translate everything. But I have my appointment, finally.The first available appointment was on October 12, 2010. October 12th is also my mother's birthday. Sweet.

Remembering My Mother, Angela Orlando Rafferty

2009-12-05T17:11:00.001-05:00

Francesco Persano, My Grandfather's Travel Companion

2009-12-02T23:24:00.006-05:00

For the longest time, I have wanted to share this photo of "La Bretagne", the ship that my grandfather took when he came to this country for the first time in 1909. Today seems like the appropriate day because something amazing happened!Today I received an email from a man named Dave whose grandfather also came from Curinga. Dave happened to find this blog because he was visiting my other

Saying Goodbye to Maria Orlando: 1924-2009

2009-11-22T21:28:00.009-05:00

Maria and Jennifer holding a picture of Maria's cousins, October 2009 21-11-2009Jennifer,Mi dispiace dirti che Maria Orlando e morta oggi presso l'ospedale di Lamezia Terme. I funerali si faranno lunedi alle 13,30.Claudio November 21, 2009Jennifer,I am sorry to tell you that Maria Orlando died today at the Lamezia Terme hospital. The funeral will be on Monday at 1:30pm.ClaudioI woke up this

Lettera Aperta a Jennifer

2009-11-15T21:04:00.008-05:00

Jennifer at her grandfather's house in CuringaAbout a year before I arrived to Curinga, I sent an email to the webmaster for the Curinga Insieme website. I saw that they invited readers to send publications and letters, so I decided to take a chance and send my letter to be published on their website. The webmaster, Cesare Cesareo, was nice enough to publish my short note and we continued to

Rosa Orlando

2009-11-12T21:38:00.008-05:00

Filming by Rick AllredI keep thinking about my great aunt Rosa, Maria Orlando’s mother. Rosa was born in 1881, and she was the older sister of my grandfather, Carmelo.Before I even arrived to Curinga, I had been creating an image of her in my mind. The image was based on written documentation that provided a few scant details about her life. She was single, she was a spinster, and she died at the

My Grandfather's House in Curinga

2009-11-04T18:54:00.009-05:00

It has been two weeks since I returned to the United States after my two-week sojourn in Italy. My body has practically adjusted to the time change, the food and solitary dinners at home, but I hang on as best I can to some of the emotions and sensations that ran through my body during those two weeks in Curinga. I know that much of what I experienced in Italy was a better reflection of my true

Finding My Blood in Curinga

2009-10-22T18:37:00.004-04:00

The day I went to the rest home with Mr. Orlando and Eleonora, I had just about 15 minutes to absorb the news that I had a second cousin in Curinga before we came face to face in the visiting area of the "casa di riposo". Despite the fact that Eleonora told me in the car about my relationship to Maria Orlando, I still couldn't believe what I was hearing. I wanted to believe her, but part of me

What Vital Records Don't Tell You

2009-10-17T08:50:00.002-04:00

After all my research on the internet and in the town hall here in Curinga, there was still a missing piece in the puzzle. That piece is Maria Orlando. I never knew she existed. Her mother, Rosa, had been listed as a single woman on all her vital records, so I assumed she never had children.I expected that I would come to Curinga to hear stories and read vital records about my grandfather's

Finding Grandpa's Neighborhood in Curinga

2009-10-16T09:40:00.003-04:00

Today I went to the town hall of Curinga to continue my research on my grandfather's lineage. I have now confirmed that he was born in Curinga and I have a copy of his birth certificate for mycitizenship application.The Orlando family and I are trying to figure out the connection that exists between our two families. If it exists at all.Eleonora and her father, Guiseppe, had done some research

Curinga, Medicine for My Soul

2009-10-13T08:40:00.002-04:00

Curinga at sunset, with a view of the Eolie islands and Stromboli (Volcano) Tonight I wrote to a dear friend of mine who lives in Spain. I tried to describe this trip and what it is doing for my general wellbeing. I know that many people will ask me when I return, what did I see? Where did I go? When I tell them I went to Curinga and I spent 10 days in a town without seeing other cities or

Jennifer's Arrival to Italy

2009-10-12T14:45:00.002-04:00

I have arrived to Rome. All has gone pretty smoothly for me except for my check-in at Blu-Express. They got me good for having gone over their weight limit. The limit is 17 kilos for the checked luggage, and 5 kilos for the carry-on. It was a joke of sorts, watching the people before me rearrange their suitcase content moving it from one bag to another. I stood in the line wondering if I would

The Accordion

2009-10-05T17:43:00.004-04:00

Photo taken by iMarco89One of my goals for my trip to Italy is to hear live Calabrian tarantella. I have watch videos countless times on YouTube, but I would love to hear and see the musicians performing in person. I wouldn’t mind dancing a tarantella myself, to tell you the truth. I recently learned that my grandfather owned an accordion. I was touched to learn this fact as I have always tried

News from NARA about My Nonni

2009-09-09T15:25:00.004-04:00

Response from the NARA office today:"The National Archives is the repository of naturalization records for the Federal District and Circuit Courts. The indexes for the Federal Courts in the Middle District of PA were searched for the years 1901-1990. We found the naturalization record for Antoinette Piccione Orlando, naturalized in 1948. According to her papers, her husband was deceased by that

This is Curinga, the Town of My Nonno

2009-08-27T20:50:00.004-04:00

This is Curinga, the town where my grandfather was born. God willing, soon my feet will walk through these streets.

Making Hotel Reservations Brings More Surprises...

2009-08-25T20:07:00.008-04:00

So, I am moving ahead now with making reservations in the towns where I will be staying while I am in Italy in October. I have selected my hotel in Rome, my hotel in Lamezia Terme, and my hotel in Curinga.I called the Hotel Golden in Curinga just the other day to make my reservations. I successfully made myself clear in Italian, and I proceeded to ask the receptionist if he could email me a

When Grandma Piccione and Grandpa Orlando Tied the Knot

2009-07-27T22:33:00.002-04:00

I don't know much about the circumstances surrounding the marriage of my Italian grandparents. I know that my grandmother was in the United States less than a year before she married Carmelo, but I can't tell you who arranged the marriage between the lady from Santo Stefano (Sicily) and the man from Curinga (Calabria).What I do know is that I hold the original copy of their marriage certificate.

A Response from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about My Grandfather

2009-07-20T20:49:00.004-04:00

After a three month wait, I finally received word from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about my grandpa. The letter reads:Dear Miss Rafferty:Your index search request was received in this off on 4/18/2009 regarding Carmelo Orlando, born about July 16, 1887, in Italy. We have completed our search for records based on the information you provided, but did not locate any. While you are

Italian Blogger Strike- July 14th, 2009

2009-07-14T08:24:00.004-04:00

In support of my fellow Italian bloggers, I am also on strike today. For an explanation of the strike, you can visit http://dirittoallarete.ning.com/. Freedom of speech for everyone!You can also read this article in English.

The Intangible Nature of the Dead

2009-06-17T23:04:00.004-04:00

Curinga, Calabria (Andrea Marutti)Today marks the 8th week since I submitted to the USCIS my second, not first, online search request form for immigration information about my grandfather, Carmelo Orlando. Now that we have reached the 8th week point, I feel I am in my right to politely ask for a status update on the search. And that I did today by email.If you remember what happened the first

Antoinette Picione

2009-05-28T22:17:00.006-04:00

My grandmother, Antoinette Picione, was 27 years old when she arrived to the United States on August 18th, 1921. When she arrived, she was posing as a surrogate mother for two children who were traveling with her: Caterina and Gaetano Girolamo, the children of Rizzo Girolamo. Caterina was 11 and Gaetano was 9. All three were detained upon arrival because no one came to identify them as family at

I Have My Ticket to Lamezia Terme!

2009-05-07T21:08:00.002-04:00

So, tonight I took the next step and I purchased my ticket to Calabria. I took the advice of fellow blogger, Cheerye Moore, at My Bella Vita, and I went with Blu-Express Air. She has many great articles on traveling in Italy, and her article about Blu-Express was right on for me! Thank you, Cheerye.The ticket cost me $57.98 euros, which is approximately $77.47 in USD. The flight is a short one,

Adventures in Sicily

2009-05-01T21:45:00.009-04:00

Although I spend most of my time talking about my Calabrian roots here at La Mia Famiglia, there is a whole other story to be told about grandmother’s side of the family. That story has its origins in a town called Santo Stefano di Camastra (ME), Sicily. Santo Stefano is a small town of about 4,500 inhabitants and it lies on the northern coast of the island about half way between the cities of

Curinga Where You Least Expect It

2009-04-16T21:35:00.013-04:00

Last Saturday I went to the mall. If you know me well, you know I don't like malls. Malls drain me. I spend less and less time in malls because I seem to leave them feeling like I have been robbed of my life force. What brought me to the mall was that I just happen to have a coupon for Macy's and a big need for some dress pants. So, I endured the visit telling myself that it would be a short,

NIAF Abruzzo Relief Fund

2009-04-07T07:45:00.003-04:00

As of today, news reports indicate that at least 207 people have perished in the devasting earthquake that hit the region of Abruzzo, Italy. Close to 50,000 people are without shelter and 1,000 people have been injured.The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) has established a special NIAF/Abruzzo Relief Fund to help the victims and their families who perished from the recent earthquake

Another $30 for USCIS?

2009-04-03T11:31:00.003-04:00

So, this is the response I received regarding my search for my grandfather Carmelo Orlando. No, I am not going to try to convince them to do the search free of charge. I have worked with too many government agencies at this point to know that it would drag out the process even more...Response from USCIS:We conducted the searches based on the search criteria that you entered when you submitted

Excuse Me, USCIS, Who in the World Is Antonio Orlando?

2009-04-02T16:49:00.008-04:00

The awaited letter has arrived. Today I received the letter in response to my request for naturalization documentation on my grandfather, Elia Carmelo Orlando.As I approached my mailbox, I could see the return address on the white envelope. My heart rate increased. I kept my composure outside the house and retrieved the mail while holding my briefcase, lunch box, and purse.I no sooner stepped

My Family Tree Just Grew Again!

2009-04-01T22:48:00.005-04:00

Who would have ever thought I could tell you the name, profession, and year of birth for my great, great maternal grandfather? I certainly did not. When I started this journey back in 2006, I set out to identify my maternal grandfather and that was pretty much the extent of my hopes and wishes. It’s taken me two years to uncover Carmelo’s identity and origin, but persistence has paid off. My

How Jennifer Studies Italian These Days...

2009-03-31T21:14:00.006-04:00

In preparation for my trip to Italy, I have been studying Italian in my free time. I have been studying for about 7 months now, and I have a number of ways that I practice the language.RAI TelevisionI have a subscription to RAI television and I keep the television on a lot more than I used to. It’s true that I don’t understand everything, but exposure to sounds and authentic language is

In Search of Travel Companion for Italian Adventure

2009-03-31T06:43:00.004-04:00

Last Friday, you might have seen the posting at My Bella Vita. Cheerye Moore did me a great favor by telling the world about my travel plans and my desire to find a companion for this trip. I can’t thank her enough.Each week it seems clearer to me that my trip should take place in October 2009. I have decided to travel at this time because I would like to attend La Bettola in Curinga, the town

Calabria-Simu o No Calabrisi?

2009-03-04T23:30:00.004-05:00

Michelle Fabio from Bleeding Espresso recently shared this great video on her blog. I just had to share it with you here too.

Curinga Insieme

2009-03-04T23:06:00.003-05:00

I found a really neat website about Curinga this week. It's called Curinga Insieme. What I love most about the site is the photo album. I have been really wanting to find pictures of Curinga. This website has a nice collection.The website also has a section where readers can send letters. I am happy to say they published my letter. I will now be known throughout all of Curinga! Not only do they

La Bettola

2009-02-19T16:42:00.003-05:00

You are probably wondering why I am sharing this video with you. Well, first of all, it takes place in Curinga. La Bettola is a festival that takes place during the third Sunday in October, and I am thinking that I would like to travel to Curinga at this time.This was the first video that I was able to find about Curinga. I watch it periodically, and I am amazed at how much more I understand

News! Notizie!

2009-02-17T20:14:00.005-05:00

"News!", read the email I received today from Curinga, Italy.What would the news be? That quickly? E. had just emailed me last week saying that she had been to the town hall in Curinga, and she expected that the process for researching my grandfather would be rather slow since there was only one clerk on staff to do the research.My heart rate quickened and I opened the letter. It read,"I have

Waiting, and More Waiting...

2009-02-16T20:18:00.002-05:00

I will be honest, I come home every day and I look in my mailbox for a letter from the USCIS. We have reached the six week point, and the website states that it takes 6-8 weeks to process orders. I suppose the fact that I submitted my request the day after Christmas probably slowed things down even more. Boy, it would be a nice birthday gift to receive that letter and know my fate. Italian

Awaiting a Response from the USCIS

2009-01-06T22:39:00.005-05:00

I have been quiet lately, I know. It doesn't mean that I have abandoned my geneology work. Actually, I decided to slow down a bit as I await a response from the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services. I have submitted two forms for both my grandfather, Carmelo Orlando, and my grandma Antoinette Picione, to see if they have any documentation regarding their naturalization. Once I have

Siblings

2008-12-21T22:38:00.003-05:00

Bruno, Angeline, Lucy-1931 Passport PhotoLucy, Angeline, Bruno-1967 Wilkes-Barre, PA

Pictures of the Piccione Family from Santo Stefano di Camastra

2008-12-21T16:26:00.002-05:00

From left to right:Back: Concetta, unknown, Giovane, BrunoFront: Lucia, Ninfa, Antoinette, AngelineGuiseppe, Concetta, Ninfa, Antoinette, Giovane

The Chosen Scribe

2008-12-16T00:09:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, I started to feel that my relatives think I am a bit crazy for being so caught up in this geneology journey. As I shared with them the recent findings from the ship manifests, I realized that it was my passion, my curiosity, and no one seemed to share it with me. I felt very alone and disappointed.It occurred to me at some point during the weekend that I have taken on an

Naturalization Reading & Rights to Dual Citizenship

2008-12-13T14:31:00.002-05:00

I just read through a few informative webpages regarding both naturalization and qualifications for dual citizenship. http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/naturalization/naturalization.htmlhttp://www.myitalianfamily.com/record/requirements.htmlI seriously need to face this one. If I don't qualify, it's not the end of the world. But how to find the documents? A nice man from the Circolo Calabrese

Naturalized or Not Naturalized?

2008-12-13T13:33:00.004-05:00

Here is where I go a little crazy, wondering if my chances for dual citizenship are completely wiped out now that a fellow Calabrese has helped me to find the 1930 cenus record for my grandfather. (Yes, Circolo Calabrese is definitely working out for me! I highly recommend joining this group. )The census says both my grandfather and grandmother were naturalized. Yet, look at the ship manifest

Il Circolo Calabrese

2008-12-11T23:02:00.002-05:00

Today I joined the Circolo Calabrese for a quarterly membership. It's a much better deal that the www.ancestry.com website, and the discussion board appears to be far more active that AncestryI have not explored all the membership perks in detail, but I started by exploring the discussion board tonight. I was happy to see so many Italian Americans of Calabrian roots doing research, but I was

Falerna, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy, Civil Registration 1810-1936

2008-12-09T16:52:00.003-05:00

I am spending another $30 to do some research @ www.ancestry.com . I have delved into the international collections and I have found civil records for the town of Falerna, Catanzaro, Italia. I have learned that the keeping of vital records for Italy started in 1866. Phew.... Grandpa was born in 1887. In the southern part of Italy, records were kept as far back as 1809, with the exception of

Surname Discussion Forums

2008-12-06T08:48:00.002-05:00

I have been posting on a few discussion forums devoted to the surname Orlando. So far, I have not received a response from anyone regarding my nonno, Carmelo. The discussion board postings are sporadic, similar to my research record! It looks as though people start their research, they don't get very far, and then they move on. I am trying to find a way to be more consistent about checking

Grandpa, send me a sign, please!

2008-12-05T21:54:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I recently had the opportunity to channel to the other side with a gifted psychic. My intention with the session was to connect with my mother, but it never occurred to me that I would be hearing about my grandfather, Carmelo, when we made a connection with my mom. I just came across this video at another geneology blog. I thought it would be worth sharing

A Rollercoaster Ride

2008-12-05T13:16:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I became frustrated by this process of trying to confirm my grandfather's identity. Recently, I had to take a step back and remind myself why I got involved in researching my grandfather's history. While part of my motivation has been to seek Italian citizenship, I also feel strongly that this research process is far more important than any passport. Sure, it would be wonderful to

Weeding Out the Wrong Carmelos

2008-11-19T13:05:00.006-05:00

So, these are two pages worth of Carmelo Orlandos who came to the United States from Italy in the mid to late 1800s tothe early 1900s. To start my search, I went to http://www.ellisisland.org/ and I entered my grandfather's name with some approximate dates of birth and death.After that, I looked at the town or birth origin and I googled each town to see which ones are in Calabria. There are only

A Letter to Curinga/Una Lettera a Curinga

2008-11-19T09:42:00.005-05:00

Here is a letter that I composed in Italian, with the help of my Italian instructor. I will translate it in my next post. I was able to make contact with an Orlando family in the town of Curinga, and we exchanged email addresses. I don't know if we are related, but since this family was willing to help and seemed interested in learning if there is a connection between my grandfather, Carmelo, and

Introducing, Carmelo Orlando, My Grandfather

2008-11-17T19:48:00.008-05:00

As someone who has spent the last 4 years doing genealogy research on my maternal grandfather’s family, I can say that there is nothing like that very first moment you make a discovery about your ancestors. When I do research diligently and I uncover something after hours in front of the computer, I get a rush of confidence and I start to think that I have cracked the code, found the secret to