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Immigrant Ancestors and WWII Alien Registrations

Image: rawpixel   It never occurred to me that my immigrant ancestors who did not naturalize after they came to the United States would be considered aliens. But an Ancestry hint for my great-grandmother Catherine Cassidy Baker tipped me off to this fact and a new Ancestry collection as well. The Alien Registration Act of 1940 required any non-citizen entering and living within the U.S. to register within four months at a local post office. 1  The process included completing a questionnaire consisting of 15 questions and to be fingerprinted. This requirement allowed the U.S. government to know the whereabouts and activities of the resident aliens, including where they worked, what sorts of clubs or organizations they belonged to, etc., in an effort to stem any anti-American activities. It was also intended to protect individuals from suspicion or harassment from others who might have learned of their status as a non-citizen. In a statement upon signing the ...

GENEALOGY CHALLENGE 2021 - Newspaper Clipping II

GENEALOGY CHALLENGE 2021

Newspaper Clipping II -  January 29th entry of a 31-day challenge to post a document, photo or artifact on social media every day in January.  

by Nancy Gilbride Casey

 



This clipping is a bit of a mystery, as it was loose in a box of my Mom's things. I don't have a date or a newspaper. I'm assuming that it is from The Cleveland Press, as they are listed as a sponsor of this Folk Festival in which my Mom, Anna Margaret "Margie" Kozlina Gilbride, was performing. She is shown in the small trio to the right, on the left side. 

Mom participated in Croatian folk dance for several years, and I'm lucky enough to have several great photos of her in her costumes. I never saw any of these costumes in person, so they must have belonged to the troupes and not to her personally.

I know that Mom went on at least one tour with a folk troupe, as I have a great letter from her to her family describing the hotel she was staying in. (See Mom's Big Trip.)

I plan to do some further research to date this article and find out more about the folk festival event. Look for updates in a future post.


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