Hi Jim A, I'd say that researching any immigrant ancestor (or at least European immigrant ancestors) does have some commonalities. To research just about anywhere in Europe, you need the village. And you'd use naturalization, ships lists, etc to find that village.
There were more German and Irish immigrants to America and they came much earlier than the Portuguese wave of immigrants. The German and Irish records were filmed much earlier and groups formed to help the German and Irish researcher (the Southern California Genealogical Society has both a German as well as an Irish Interest Group). I believe my Family History Center (FHC) has a class every other month if not monthly on German or Irish research. The Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU - today it is called Family Search) made a contract with the Azorean government to film their records. They sent the photographers to film about 1985 or so (Doris Mello of this list was there in the archive and saw them film)! Then they had to get the film developed, processed, and cataloged before we could use it. I'd say it was probably around 1990 before people started to use it. And not many of us either! Because many of us in America are at least a couple of generations removed from our immigrant ancestor, we don't read the language. So we were at a loss. People who knew how to read started teaching others how to pick apart the records and extract the important genealogical information. By the mid-1990s, Doug da Rocha Holmes and Rosemarie Capodicci were giving workshops and I was on America OnLine in the genealogy chat rooms along with Melody Lassalle and John Vasconcelos helping people out. And from there, it just took off. Azoreans (and the Madeirans, I think) have had access to their records for almost 25 years. Cape Verdeans have had access maybe only 7 or 8 years now! The German and Irish have probably had access since the filming began...around the 1940s? I can't remember. But much longer than 25 years. So that is why you've probably had an easier time with those branches of your family. Cheri Mello Listowner, Azores-Gen Researching: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada -- -- To unsubscribe from this group, send email to azores+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. Follow the confirmation directions when they arrive. For more options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to azores+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
