Nikkei Genealogy with Linda Okazaki: Ethnic Discussion Group Series

The California Genealogical Society will be hosting a series of ethnic discussion groups that are free and open to the public.  

Maruko Okazaki, ca. 1937, Santa Maria, California

The first in the series will be on Japanese Research-- on Saturday, August 2, 2014, CGS Volunteer Linda Okazaki will be leading an introductory workshop and discussion on Nikkei Genealogy.

Here's a brief description of the introductory workshop:

Searching for your Japanese roots can be challenging but not impossible. Getting started is no different than researching any other ethnic group. Begin with yourself and work backwards, collecting birth, marriage and death records. Then venture into census, land and immigration records. For Nikkei, internment camp records and A-files are critical. All of these documents can give you clues needed to get your records in Japan.

Earlier this month, she presented her "Finding Your Japanese Roots” workshop on behalf of the Nikkei Genealogical Society at the 2014 National Conference for the Japanese American Citizens League. The JACL is the oldest Asian civil rights organization in the US, and was founded in 1929. To learn more about the JACL, visit:  http://jacl.org/about/about.htm

We’re also happy to announce that Linda will be presenting her workshop "Finding Your Japanese Roots: In the U.S. and in Japan" at CGS on Saturday, September 27 from 10-2 pm.  Come & learn how to document your unique family history! 

Registration is already open: http://tinyurl.com/Japanese2014Reg

For more details, please contact Linda at loaklazaki@californiaancestors.org


Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Japanese Class flier

Event flier by Debbie Mascot. Thank you, Debbie!

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Angel Island Family History Day: Tour the Ellis Island of the West

Saturday, October 5, 2013
11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Angel Island Immigration Station
Angel Island State Park
San Francisco Bay

The California Genealogical Society is partnering with the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society to present Angel Island Family History Day on Saturday, October 5, 2013, at the restored Immigration Station at Angel Island State Park. The event will feature lectures, genealogy resource tables, and free viewing of the Immigration Barracks.

“Angel Island played a crucial role in the family histories of many Bay Area residents,” says Grant Din, Director of Special Projects at the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. “Close to one million immigrants were processed at Angel Island between 1910 and 1940, and hundreds of thousands were held at the Angel Island detention center for days, weeks, or months. The Immigration Station is best known for the Chinese poems that were carved in the barracks walls. It housed people from over 80 countries as they sought new lives in the United States."

The open house at the Immigration Barracks will give visitors a glimpse into the daily life of newcomers from Japan, Korea, Russia, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and Jewish refugees escaping the Holocaust.

Angel Island is located in San Francisco Bay, east of the Golden Gate Bridge, and is accessible by ferry from Oakland, Alameda, Vallejo, Tiburon and San Francisco. The state park entry fee is included in the ferry ticket rate. Please make your own transportation arrangements by purchasing tickets online. Be sure to verify departure points and weekend ferry schedules. Take the first ferries in order to get the most out of your day on the island and to arrive in time for the programs.

Angel Island Immigration Station

The U.S. Immigration Station is a pleasant one-mile walk from the ferry dock at Ayala Cove that starts with a climb of about 140 steps to the main road. For those who do not wish to walk, Angel Island Company provides shuttle service from Ayala Cove to Immigration Station. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased online in advance. The shuttle service departs from the from the The Angel Island Café at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Shuttle tickets include return service to Ayala Cove. For more information on shuttle service, please contact the Angel Island Café at (415) 435-3392.

Participants are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to the Island. Picnic tables are located near the Immigration Station. Alternatively, boxed lunches are available for advanced purchase online. Pick up will be located at the Angel Island Cafe in Ayala Cove. You must bring a printed copy of your confirmation email in order to receive your lunch.

To avoid lines, please purchase shuttle tickets and lunches in advance using the online services of the Angel Island Company.

There is no advanced registration or fee for this event. Island admission is included in the ferry ticket price. Participants are responsible for arranging ferry transportation. Advanced purchase of optional lunch or shuttle service is strongly recommended to avoid long lines. There is no food service available at the Immigration Station. 

For photos, maps, and more information about the island, be sure to visit the Island Insights: The Angel Island Blog.

The Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) is the nonprofit partner of California State Parks and the National Park Service in the effort to preserve, restore and interpret the historic immigration station located in the middle of San Francisco Bay.

The California Genealogical Society (CGS) founded in San Francisco in 1898, maintains a library, gathers and preserves vital records, and offers research services and online databases. CGS disseminates information through publications, meetings, seminars, workshops and its website, CaliforniaAncestors.org.

The San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society (SFBAJGS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development, preservation and distribution of Jewish genealogical knowledge and material, and the sharing of techniques and tools with others who may be researching their Jewish roots.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Finding Your Japanese Roots in the U.S. and in the Land of the Rising Sun

The Moshida Family: Identification tags were used to aid in keeping a family unit intact during all phases of evacuation. Executive Order 9066 ordered the removal of 110,000 civilians of Japanese descent, including 71,000 American citizens, from the western United States in 1942. They were placed in ten internment camps.

Saturday, September 28, 2013
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, California 94612

The California Genealogical Society proudly announces the next class in our ongoing ethnic family history series: researching Japanese ancestry with Linda Harms Okazaki.

Part I of the half-day seminar will be a brief overview of Japanese culture, history and language as it pertains to genealogy, immigration and passenger records. Records available through the National Archives, USCIS, Ancestry.com, Family Search, and Japanese American National Museum will be covered. 

Topics will include: 

• the early political climate in the US and laws of the time, 
• internment camps, 
• post WWII experiences, repatriation and redress

The second half of the seminar will focus on documenting your ancestors in Japan, from using the information in the American records to finding your koseki, understanding ohaka and kakocho, plus visiting relatives, cemeteries and temples.

This seminar is suitable for all levels of research experience.

Register online.

Download the information flier.

This class is limited to thirty participants and is a free benefit of membership. Non-members fee is $20.00 (non-refundable) and can be applied towards membership on the day of the class.

Preregistration is required. Walk-ins will not be admitted. Registration confirmations will be sent to the first thirty registrants. Additional names will be collected and placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

Participants are invited to come early and meet each others who share an interest in Japanese research. Please bring a bagged lunch and meet at noon in the Sherman room at the library.

Linda Harms Okazaki is a fourth-generation San Franciscan whose interest in genealogy began as a hobby in 1998. For the past two years she been researching her husband’s Japanese ancestry and has become passionate about documenting and sharing the stories of Japanese-Americans before, during, and after World War II. Linda has taken two research trips to Japan and has toured some of the assembly centers and camps that held members of the Okazaki family. This summer she completed the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR) program at the National Archives in Washington D.C. and College Park, Maryland. Linda serves as Volunteer Coordinator for the California Genealogical Society and Library.

Photo credit: No. 210-GC-153, “Members of the Mochida family awaiting evacuation bus. Mochida operated a nursery and five greenhouses on a two-acre site in Eden Township." Dorothea Lange, Hayward, California, May 8, 1942; National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the War Relocation Authority.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

What You Missed: German Research Workshop with Shirley Riemer

Things have been busy this year at the library. Tim Cox and his crew have been cooking up classes and filling the society calendar with offerings to help genealogists with almost every aspect of their research. Workshops that focus on a particular ethnic group have been especially popular so it was no surprise that Getting Started in German Genealogy on January 29, 2011, was a sell-out.

Instructor Shirley Riemer received rave reviews from attendees.

Shirley Riemer

Mrs. Riemer's sense of humor and style of presentation are entertaining, as well as being very instructive. She covered a great deal of material while making it easily accessible, and provided very helpful printed material. –Anonymous

Great presentation! Not only informative but enjoyable! Great sense of humor! –Erin Flory

The presenter was funny and informative, she covered a lot in the time that was allowed. –Patti Melvin

Shirley had a great sense of humor, which is always a plus. She is an excellent presenter. I've been telling anyone who will listen about the talk. –Chris Pattillo

She covered a lot of areas of great frustration in researching German ancestors. I was really impressed with her knowledge. –Carl Mueller

By the numbers:

• Total registered: 40
• Cancellations: 6
• Waiting List: 1
• No Show: 2
• Non-members registered: 7 (Fees collected: $140)
• Total in attendance: 43 (including three longtime members not registered)
• Total evaluations returned: 21

Tim received several requests to have Shirley back again. He's already negotiating for her return later this year.

The workshop was the first in the new space adjoining the library. Most people enjoyed the room and commented about it in the evaluations. But while our speaker and her talk got only accolades, feedback from the evaluations told us that some things need improvement.

There were some issues voiced about the lack of air conditioning, no microphone (it seems to be broken), noise from the fans, and chairs being too close together. All of these issues have been reported and are being addressed.


Photographs courtesy of Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, 1/29/2011, Oakland, California.


Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Ethnic Series Workshop - Primeros Pasos: How to Look for Your Latino Ancestors

Saturday, June 19, 2010
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2,
Oakland, California

The society's ethnic series continues with a workshop for beginning genealogists who need assistance with research in Spanish speaking countries. Join Ellen Fernandez-Sacco as she presents three talks.

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.  Brief History of the Spanish Empire’s Government and Its Influence on Other Spanish Speaking Countries.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Researching Catholic Church Records.

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.  Break for lunch. Bring a brown bag or purchase at a local restaurant.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Searching Websites and Other Resources.

The workshop is open and free to all. Preregistration is required. Please note that seating is limited to the first fifteen who register.

Register online.

Ellen Fernandez-Sacco’s involvement with genealogy started in 1999, when she began researching the oral history of her family in Moca, Puerto Rico. She has traced her background to Mallorca and Galicia, Spain and is also of Taino Amerindian descent. She has a Ph.D. in Art History and is a co-founder and chair of Sociedad Ancestros Mocanos, a Yahoo! Group, whose focus is the genealogy and oral history of Northwest Puerto Rico.


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Wordless Wednesday

Ethnic Genealogy Series: Chinese Ancestry Workshop I

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Christine DeVillier , Marisa Louie,  Jeanie Low and Kay Speaks

Photographs by Tim Cox and Kathryn Doyle, Oakland, California.

Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Discover Your Swedish Roots Using Genline

Wednesday, May 5, 2010
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

California Genealogical Society and Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, California

Learn how to research Swedish Church records to trace your Swedish ancestry. Peter Wallenskog, CEO of Genline AB and Kathy Meade, Genline’s North American representative, will give a presentation on Swedish genealogy and demonstrate how to trace one’s roots using Genline, an online service that contains digital images of the original Swedish Church Books archive from the 16th century to the 20th century.

In addition, Peter and Kathy will demonstrate Genline’s new exciting initiative connecting the Swedish Church Books to Bygdeband, a site containing historical information about places, where one can gain a deeper understanding of the place where one’s Swedish ancestor lived.

Free to all participants with preregistration.

Register online.



Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Ethnic Genealogy Series: Chinese Ancestry - A Workshop in Two Sessions

The California Genealogical Society and Library, in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration - San Francisco, presents a FREE two-part workshop on researching Chinese ancestry. Members Christine DeVillier, Jeanie Low and Kay Speaks will share their experience and the knowledge gained researching their own Chinese ancestors.  The classes are open to all levels of experience – Chinese language skills are not necessary. Attendance at both sessions is required. 

Session I - Saturday April 17, 2010
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
California Genealogical Society Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, CA.

Program:
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Chinese Research Timeline in the U.S. from 1849 to the present – Jeanie Low presents an examination of immigration laws and migration patterns and their effect on Chinese families.

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  Resources in the The National Archives and Records Collection Pertaining to Chinese Research – Marisa Louie, NARA Archivist.

12:00 p.m. -   1:00 p.m.  Brown bag lunch and informal discussion.

1:00 p.m. -   2:00 p.m.  Obtaining Records: Your Toolbox – Christine DeVillier reviews: interview and research techniques, using photos and artifacts, online resources, how to use headstones, passengers lists, birth and death records, census records, family associations and more.

2:00 p.m. -   3:30 p.m.  Case Studies and Research – Kay Speaks.


Session II - Saturday, May 8, 2010
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
National Archives, San Francisco Pacific Region, 1000 Commodore Drive, San Bruno, CA.

Research day at NARA with access to the Angel Island Immigration Station case files. Only those who attend the April 17, 2010, workshop will be admitted to the archives.

Please note:

• Workshop is limited to twenty.
• FREE with advanced registration.
• No walk-ins allowed.
• Handouts will be emailed in advance. Please bring your own printed copy and help us cut costs.

Update 3/12/10:

The Chinese Ancestry Workshop is now full. A waiting list has been started for a future class. Add your name at the online registration form. 

What We Missed and How Technology Saved the Day

The California Genealogical Society presented a full-day program last Saturday, February 20, 2010, in honor of Black History Month and at the last minute the whole thing was threatened with cancellation, or at least a significant postponement. In his article CGS February Meeting a History Maker, our featured speaker, blogger and new board member, Craig Manson, explained what happened and how my two favorite geek-members, Thomas MacEntee and Kathy Watson, came to the rescue. Using WebEx and with only a couple of minor glitches, Craig was able to present his two talks from his home office in Carmichael, California with Past-President Jane Knowles Lindsey at her laptop control center at the library in Oakland.

Since I wasn't able to attend I've gathered some feedback from some of those present to give you an accurate accounting of the day.

The morning started with expertise from three long-time friends and colleagues from the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC). Past-President Juliet Culliver Crutchfield, Ed.D., Electra Kimble Price and Jackie Stewart fielded questions from the audience.

Lorna Wallace reports: 

The panel of members of AAGSNC did something unexpected in that they started right out asking the audience what questions they had – there never was a "lecture" as such. That way none of the attendees were left at the end without hearing what puzzled them. The open format also allowed people in the audience, who had a lot of pertinent experience, to easily contribute their personal stories as examples.

One of our new board members, Jeffrey Vaillant, had these comments:

The use of the Webex tool was an exciting new adventure that brought the presenter's voice and on-screen power point presentation in the room for all to experience. The technology has been around for some years so its use at CGS was a potential step into the 21st century. 

The morning three person panel was terrific as each shared insights into their genealogy quest. A lesson learned was solid genealogy practices apply to any ethnic research along with an understanding of that culture.

Vernester Sheeler sent accolades:

One word Fabulous!!  The CGS’s Black History program was wonderful. There were a couple of minor technical glitches but once resolved the session was great. Craig is a gifted and engaging presenter. He shared valuable tips, and tools to broaden my research. My employer uses WebEx for most of our project meetings however this was my first time to use it for something I value and enjoy!

Panelists Juliet Crutchfield, Electra Price and Jackie Stewart

Special thanks to everyone who helped make this a successful program.

Photographs courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey, Nicka Smith and Vernester Sheeler.

Workshop: Eastern European Research - April 12, 2008

CGS is rolling out a series of research workshops in 2008 that will focus on specific ethnic groups and geographical regions.

The first, "Eastern and Central European Research," will be held Saturday, April 12, 2008, from 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., at the California Genealogical Society Library. CGS members, Stephen J. Danko, author of Steve's Genealogy Blog and Jeremy G. Frankel, President of the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society, will be on hand to lend their expertise.

The workshop will consist of two lectures (with handouts) by our specialists, a lunch break and a "hands-on" session so attendees can share ideas, do some computer research and talk one-on-one with Jeremy and Steve. Members are encouraged to bring laptop computers; the six CGS computers may not all be available for the program.

Jeremy will discuss Don't Reinvent the Wheel:
"Before researching for original documents in faraway repositories, try finding other people who have done what you are attempting. Is there a special interest group for your geographical area of interest? Can you find someone who has already visited East European archives? Can they tell you what the date range, condition, access issues are? As with all foreign research, start by digging around in your own backyard. You might be surprised at what you find."

Steve will present Finding ancestors amidst the changing map of Europe:
"Finding the place of origin of an immigrant is crucial to finding historic records for that immigrant's ancestors. Complicating matters are the changing borders in Europe during the past two centuries as the territorial acquisitions obliterated some nations from the map. Border changes in Europe affected not only the map of Europe, but also the records on which genealogists depend to document their ancestors' lives."

The workshop is free for CGS members but is limited to 15 people. Reservations are required; no walk-ins will be permitted. There will be a sign-up fee of $10 for non-members. (The fee can be applied toward membership on the day of the workshop.) There will be a sign up sheet at CGS. Please call (510) 663-1358 to reserve a space.

Jeremy Frankel was born in London and trained as a cartographer and surveyor. He has been investigating his East European roots in Poland and Lithuania for over 20 years. Frankel joined the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society after moving to the Bay Area in 1993. He has been the Society’s President since 2003. Jeremy has studied San Francisco and California Jewry and their history. His current projects include a San Francisco-born Jewish boxing glove manufacturer, and a Polish Jewish anarchist who co-founded the first sailor’s union in San Francisco. Jeremy is also a professional genealogist, able to research families who lived in the U.K., U.S. and parts of Eastern Europe.

Stephen Danko is a native of upstate New York. In the course of writing his daily genealogy research blog, Steve has reconnected with lost cousins in Poland, the U.K., and the U.S. He began seriously researching his family history nine years ago and has conducted research on location in Poland and Lithuania and has visited the villages in which his immigrant ancestors lived. In addition to research on his own family, Steve has conducted client research in records from the U.S., Poland, Italy, and Canada. He has formally studied Latin, German, and Polish, and has acquired a working knowledge of several other languages. Steve is currently studying for a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies in Toronto.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn new strategies and meet other members with similar research interests.

Update: Check out the books that Steve Danko has recommended.