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Have you ever wanted to research your Italian American Genealogy?

Well, in this episode, we interview Mary Tedesco, an Italian Genealogy expert on how to get started in researching your Italian Genealogy.

Episode Quote
My family tree has many branches, both living and dead... but all equally important. I cherish the memories that make its roots run deep. - Lynda I Fisher
Tweetables (Please share):

* "Each one of our relatives are treasure boxes." – Dolores Alfieri (tweet this)
* "It's much more than names and dates in Italian Genealogy research." – Mary Tedesco (tweet this)
* "Our ancestors are each a piece of who we are." – Mary Tedesco (tweet this)
* "Re-creating our ancestors lives is emotional." – Dolores Alfieri (tweet this)
* "All of our descendants were dictated by that one decision to stay or go."– Dolores Alfieri (tweet this)
* "We stand on so many shoulders." – Dolores Alfieri (tweet this)

Episode Guest:

Here’s an introduction to this episode’s guest Mary Tedesco. She is:

* A professional genealogist, speaker, and author.
* Host and Genealogist on the PBS TV series “Genealogy Roadshow” (seasons 2 and 3) as well as the Founder of ORIGINS ITALY.
* Fluent in Italian and travels often to Italy to conduct client genealogical research and visit family.
* The co-author of Tracing Your Italian Ancestors an 84-page Italian research guide published by Moorshead Magazines.
* Holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Boston University and a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University’s Center for Professional Education.

In addition to her Italian ancestry (Calabria, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Tuscany) on her father’s side, she also has deep American roots (German, Irish, Danish & English) on her mother’s side and is a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Mary is a member of a number of local and national genealogical societies. She can be contacted at www.originsitaly.com.
3 Steps to Starting Your Italian Genealogy Research:
Step #1 Oral History – It is critically important to talk to your older relatives and find out whatever you can from them about your family history. Ask them:

* What are your ancestral towns in Italy?
* The names of our ancestors as far back as they can remember.
* To tell you stories about their parents and their grandparents.
* What years relatives came to the USA from Italy and what years they were naturalized.
* For any documentation they might have, especially birth certificates, marriage certificates, and naturalization certificates, death records, etc.

If the knowledge of your ancestral towns has not been preserved in your family, you may be able to locate this information through genealogical research. Search for information online (or at a National Archives branch). Naturalization records and passenger lists are a great place to start your research.  You can utilize websites like FamilySearch.org and EllisIsland.org

The ancestral town is a critical element to your Italian Genealogy research.