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 your requests via the USCIS Genealogy Program website.
On December 24, 2008, you submitted an online search request for information relating to Antonio Orlando aka Anthony Orlando. On December 24, 2008, you also submitted an online search request for information relating to Antoinette Piccione aka Angeline Orlando.
Our records do not reflect that we are in receipt of a search request from you for information relating to Camelo/Carmen Orlando. If you want a request to submit Form G-1041 / Index Search request, please visit the Index Search page for more information. You can also review download and/or submit Form G-1041 / Index Search Request. Before submitting a search request, please be sure to visit our website: www.uscis.gov/genealogy to review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and the Historical Records Series page, which summarizes the records that are available through the program.
To begin a search request, you must provide the subject/immigrant’s name (including any other names or aliases), date of birth (actual or approx), and country of birth. We also ask for information about when the subject/immigrant arrived (actual or approximate) in the United States and when or where he/she naturalized (again, actual or suggestions). In cases where more than one name combination is provided for the same subject/immigrant, we run multiple searches. There are no additional fees as long as the name combinations that are provided to conduct the search are for the same subject/immigrant.
My Response:
Well, if I need to submit another request, I will. However, I have a hard time believing that I typed in Antonio or Anthony into the online form since we have no one in the family with that name. I was completely alert and aware of what I was typing into the form at that moment. I entered, CARMELO/CARMEN ORLANDO because that was my grandfather's name. There are no relatives in our family with the name Antonio so that name could not have possibly been in my head as I filled in the form.
In fact, you make reference below to the search you conducted for my grandmother, Antoinette Orlando/Piccione. I did not type in Angeline as a possible alias. I entered Angeline as a daughter of hers in the section that asked for additional information that might help the search process.
Is it possible that your online request system is not working properly? I have a very hard time believing that I typed Antonio.
I will follow up with you as soon as I have completed the form to make sure that the proper names have been received on your end.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Excuse Me, USCIS, Who in the World Is Antonio Orlando?
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 through the threshold of my front door, and I dropped my bags, except the laptop... I took a deep breath, told myself to be prepared for whatever, and I ripped open the envelope.
The first line read,
"Your request was received in this office on 12/24/2008 regarding Antonio Orlando. "
Antonio? I think you have the wrong granddaughter. I mean, I think you have the wrong grandfather. Was this a clerical error in composing my letter, or was it that they actually searched for the wrong man? They couldn't have. I was very clear in my request, completed online by the way, that my grandfather's name was Carmelo Orlando. In fact, I think they asked for variations in the name or spelling. I provided Carmen as a back-up.
Surely this must be a clerical error, right? They typed the wrong name, but they looked for the right guy. It took them three months to respond, a whole 4 weeks after what they say is the typical wait time for processing a document.
Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board. I will have to do a few things now.
I will have to contact them regarding this letter to see if they mistakenly typed the wrong name or if they actually searched for the wrong man.
I will also have to follow up with the National Archives and Records Administration as they instructed me to do for both my grandmother and my grandfather.
Sigh...
I have to laugh. Both of the letters I received had errors. The letter for my grandfather got his name totally wrong, and the letter for my grandmother had at least two spelling errors.
Humm.... This is where the plot thickens, I guess.
This is where I get to exercise patience, once again.
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 through the threshold of my front door, and I dropped my bags, except the laptop... I took a deep breath, told myself to be prepared for whatever, and I ripped open the envelope.
The first line read,
"Your request was received in this office on 12/24/2008 regarding Antonio Orlando. "
Antonio? I think you have the wrong granddaughter. I mean, I think you have the wrong grandfather. Was this a clerical error in composing my letter, or was it that they actually searched for the wrong man? They couldn't have. I was very clear in my request, completed online by the way, that my grandfather's name was Carmelo Orlando. In fact, I think they asked for variations in the name or spelling. I provided Carmen as a back-up.
Surely this must be a clerical error, right? They typed the wrong name, but they looked for the right guy. It took them three months to respond, a whole 4 weeks after what they say is the typical wait time for processing a document.
Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board. I will have to do a few things now.
I will have to contact them regarding this letter to see if they mistakenly typed the wrong name or if they actually searched for the wrong man.
I will also have to follow up with the National Archives and Records Administration as they instructed me to do for both my grandmother and my grandfather.
Sigh...
I have to laugh. Both of the letters I received had errors. The letter for my grandfather got his name totally wrong, and the letter for my grandmother had at least two spelling errors.
Humm.... This is where the plot thickens, I guess.
This is where I get to exercise patience, once again.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
My Family Tree Just Grew Again!
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 genealogy research continues to reward me beyond what I ever expected.
Patience has never been a virtue of mine. Typically I want my requests fulfilled yesterday. That’s right, yesterday. With such a small threshold for waiting, I have done pretty well on this ancestral journey.
Yes, I admit, recently there are days when I come racing home after work to see if there is mail from USCIS. Afterall, it has been three months since I requested information about my grandfather. Somehow though, I have been taking the wait time in stride. I figure that in due time, the information about Carmelo citizenship status will be revealed. I have begun to see this waiting game as a great exercise that will bring me to a new understanding about myself and my family history.
In the interim, just when I think I am going to explode from waiting for news from Italy or some government office in this country, I receive treasures that I never asked for. These treasures enrich the Orlando tapestry and given it more dimension.
One of these treasures is the Orlando family I contacted to help me research my grandfather’s identity. They could have easily hung up the phone that day I mustered up the courage to call all the Orlando numbers from the phone book in the town of Curinga. They didn’t hang up the phone though. E. did the research for me, updating me along the way, and always reassuring me not to worry. I look forward to meeting her in October. I feel such gratitude towards her. It will be a special moment when I finally come face to face with Eleonora.
Another treasure is something Eleonora sent me yesterday. She was able to find out more information about my grandfather’s family. She said I was extremely fortunate that they found the documents they did because many of the civil records for Curinga had been lost or burnt during a widespread uprising that took place around 1948. In fact, she said she found less information about her own family than she did about my grandfather’s lineage.
So, I introduce you to yet another Orlando family member: Santo Orlando, my great great grandfather born circa 1802. The document found in the town hall of Curinga also included some priceless information about my great great grandfather’s profession. I leave you with this little You Tube video to celebrate Santo’s craft. Enjoy…
Patience has never been a virtue of mine. Typically I want my requests fulfilled yesterday. That’s right, yesterday. With such a small threshold for waiting, I have done pretty well on this ancestral journey.
Yes, I admit, recently there are days when I come racing home after work to see if there is mail from USCIS. Afterall, it has been three months since I requested information about my grandfather. Somehow though, I have been taking the wait time in stride. I figure that in due time, the information about Carmelo citizenship status will be revealed. I have begun to see this waiting game as a great exercise that will bring me to a new understanding about myself and my family history.
In the interim, just when I think I am going to explode from waiting for news from Italy or some government office in this country, I receive treasures that I never asked for. These treasures enrich the Orlando tapestry and given it more dimension.
One of these treasures is the Orlando family I contacted to help me research my grandfather’s identity. They could have easily hung up the phone that day I mustered up the courage to call all the Orlando numbers from the phone book in the town of Curinga. They didn’t hang up the phone though. E. did the research for me, updating me along the way, and always reassuring me not to worry. I look forward to meeting her in October. I feel such gratitude towards her. It will be a special moment when I finally come face to face with Eleonora.
Another treasure is something Eleonora sent me yesterday. She was able to find out more information about my grandfather’s family. She said I was extremely fortunate that they found the documents they did because many of the civil records for Curinga had been lost or burnt during a widespread uprising that took place around 1948. In fact, she said she found less information about her own family than she did about my grandfather’s lineage.
So, I introduce you to yet another Orlando family member: Santo Orlando, my great great grandfather born circa 1802. The document found in the town hall of Curinga also included some priceless information about my great great grandfather’s profession. I leave you with this little You Tube video to celebrate Santo’s craft. Enjoy…
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
How Jennifer Studies Italian These Days...
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 Television
I 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 absolutely necessary when studying a foreign language. I, especially, do not respond well to studying only from a book. My dad, on the other hand, can sit and read an Italian grammar book without feeling the need to hear the words pronounced by someone else. We just have different learning styles. I admit, I should sit down and look at my book more than I do, but I have used the television before for language studies, and it never fails me. I must also put a plug in for all the exposure I get to current events and Italian culture.
Italian Music
Several months ago, I picked up a CD at a second-hand music store. I listened to the CD before I purchased it to make sure I would tolerate the sound, and it passed the test. Some might prefer opera, but I opted for pop music. I listen to my CD primarily in the car when driving, but I also try to sit down at home and read the lyrics as I listen. And yes, I confess, I sing along too. The exercise wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t actually practice pronunciation!
Second Life
Some call me the futuristic girl, others think I have lost my marbles. For anyone who is immersed in virtual worlds like Second Life, you know that I am a hip, cool, non conventional language student! And so is my instructor, Anna Begonia.
RAI Television
I 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 absolutely necessary when studying a foreign language. I, especially, do not respond well to studying only from a book. My dad, on the other hand, can sit and read an Italian grammar book without feeling the need to hear the words pronounced by someone else. We just have different learning styles. I admit, I should sit down and look at my book more than I do, but I have used the television before for language studies, and it never fails me. I must also put a plug in for all the exposure I get to current events and Italian culture.
Italian Music
Several months ago, I picked up a CD at a second-hand music store. I listened to the CD before I purchased it to make sure I would tolerate the sound, and it passed the test. Some might prefer opera, but I opted for pop music. I listen to my CD primarily in the car when driving, but I also try to sit down at home and read the lyrics as I listen. And yes, I confess, I sing along too. The exercise wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t actually practice pronunciation!
Second Life
Some call me the futuristic girl, others think I have lost my marbles. For anyone who is immersed in virtual worlds like Second Life, you know that I am a hip, cool, non conventional language student! And so is my instructor, Anna Begonia.
What is an Italian lesson in Second Life like? Well, for starters, you need to register with Second Life and create an avatar. From there, you enter the orientation island where you learn to walk, fly, and dress your avatar. Eventually, you stumble upon people like yourself who use Second Life for language studies.
I was in Second Life for at least 1 year before I discovered Anna Begonia. She has a virtual Italian meeting called 'Italianiamo' every Monday at 5:30pm EST, and there are between 4-6 students who gather to practice speaking Italian. The students are located in all parts of the world. Most of them are in Europe, and then there is Paloma Mabellon (that’s me…) who is in the United States. Oh, did I mention our avatars have names?
I must admit, whenever I am in my Italian class, I get a rush of energy. I think it is the coolest thing that I can be gathered with a group of people I have never met in person, and we are practicing the language through simulations and games.
You probably notice the picture in this post. I took a picture of my class this week when we visited a simulation of ancient Rome. We even got to dress up in togas! Other weeks have included a visit to Puglia, an art exhibit on Futurismo, and the cinema to watch a short film in Italian.
I could go on for hours about how much I look forward to this weekly meeting. If you ever want to join me, just contact me and I will introduce you to my wonderful instructor, Anna Begonia.
Il Circolo Italiano
I have a friend who is an Italian instructor at Springfield Technical Community College. She has organized a monthly conversation group that meets the first Saturday of the month at the Italian American Cultural Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. When I can, I drive up to Springfield to participate.
Meet Up Group in Connecticut
Are you familiar with MeetUp? It’s a way for you to meet people who have similar interests. I went to the website and did a search for an Italian conversation group in Connecticut, and I found one! I have only been able to attend one event, but it’s another option for me when I can’t make it up to Springfield on Saturday mornings.
CDS & Books
Yes, I do have the more traditional resources for studying the language as well. I have not invested in Rosetta Stone, which I hear is quite good, but I picked up a few different CD book programs at Barnes & Noble and I have synched my mp-3 player with the CD content.
How do you like to study a foreign language? Clearly, immersion is the most ideal scenario, but not all of us can afford to just jump on a plane and spend time abroad. What works best for you when immersion isn’t possible? Tell us about it here!
In Search of Travel Companion for Italian Adventure
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 where my grandfather was born. La Bettola takes place the third Sunday in October. This time of year is also a bit better for me work-wise.
Are you interested in visiting Calabria and Sicily in October 2009? Take a look at the article at My Bella Vita, and then inquire within!
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 where my grandfather was born. La Bettola takes place the third Sunday in October. This time of year is also a bit better for me work-wise.
Are you interested in visiting Calabria and Sicily in October 2009? Take a look at the article at My Bella Vita, and then inquire within!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Calabria-Simu o No Calabrisi?
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
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 know me in the town hall, they know me on Facebook, and the readers know me at Curinga Insieme! By the time I arrive, they will hold a special parade for my arrival!
Here is the letter.
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 know me in the town hall, they know me on Facebook, and the readers know me at Curinga Insieme! By the time I arrive, they will hold a special parade for my arrival!
Here is the letter.
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