California Genealogical Society blog: genealogy class

Showing posts with label genealogy class. Show all posts

27 September 2017

Finding Your Japanese Roots in the U.S. and in Japan

Posted by Linda Okazaki

Are you a Nikkei who is ready to document your family history? Do you want to find those WRA camp files, Enemy Alien files, or other records from WWII? Do you wonder if Obāchan was a picture bride? Or if Ojīchan was arrested and sent to a Department of Justice camp? Are you a genealogist who wants to know about different record groups? Or are you helping a Japanese American friend with their genealogy? Come learn how to find your Japanese roots.

Please join California Genealogical Society president, Linda Harms Okazaki, as she presents:

Finding Your Japanese Roots in the U.S. and in Japan

When?

Saturday, October 28, 2017
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m

Where?
California Genealogical Society and Library
2201 Broadway, Suite LL2
Oakland, California 94612

Cost?
$40 for non-members (non-refundable)
Free for CGS members

How?
Register on Eventbrite

Part I of the three-hour seminar will be a brief overview of Japanese culture, history and language as it pertains to family history. Records available through the National Archives, USCIS, Ancestry.com, and FamilySearch.org will be covered.

Topics will include:

the early political climate in the U.S. and laws of the time
internment camps
post WWII experiences, repatriation, resettlement, 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.

Limited to thirty participants; the fee may be applied towards membership on the day of the class.

Please visit our Eventbrite page to register for this seminar. Preregistration is required. Confirmations and a parking permit will be sent to the first thirty registrants.

Participants are invited to come early and meet others who share an interest in Japanese research. Use our computers, browse in our library, or bring a bagged lunch and meet at the library before the session. The library is open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

15 September 2017

You're Invited! Judy G. Russell's Sept 23rd genealogy seminar in Berkeley

Posted by Shannon Reese

Maybe you won't feel like jumping for joy, but some of us do! Only 21 tickets are left for the event on Saturday, September 23rd (Doors open at 9 am - lectures begin at 9:45 am and last through 4 pm). It's sure to be a wonderful day of genealogy with the incomparable Judy G. Russell!

Judy's an engrossing and down-to-earth lecturer that really knows how to educate and entertain a crowd. The California Genealogical Society is really excited that the event is only a week away!

What do you get for your money?
4 great classes, including the ABC's of DNA, buffet-style lunch and assorted beverages throughout the day. Ticket prices are $115 for members and $140 for non-members.

The seminar is being held in the ADA accessible, Goldman Theater at the David Brower Center in downtown Berkeley. This beautifully finished theater features natural bamboo walls and plush raised theatrical seating. Key features include a hi-definition digital video and custom designed sound reinforcement by Meyer Sound.

Added bonus: it's 1 block from the Downtown Berkeley BART station or use The David Brower Center's on-site parking garage (only $17/per day)

Schedule
9:45 Facts, Photos and Fair Use: Copyright Law for Genealogists
Understanding what is and isn't copyrighted and what genealogists can and can't use is the key to staying out of trouble and to protecting our own work. Learn about what copyright is, and what it isn’t.

11:00 Martha Benschura – Enemy Alien
Not all our ancestors were naturalized. The ones who didn’t suddenly became suspect when war divided their native countries from their new residences, creating the kinds of records genealogists love.

12:00 LUNCH

1:00 Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions: The Family Black Sheep
Playing detective in court records can unmask those black sheep every family has – and it’s fun! Learn to understand the criminal process in both federal and state courts and how to find the records to put meat on the bones of the skeletons in your family’s closet.

2:15 ABCs of DNA

New to the idea that DNA can help with genealogy? Learn about the three major test types - YDNA, mitochondrial (mtDNA) and the new autosomal DNA testing - and see what each offers to the genealogist.

What else?

There is a door prize, donated by the Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library for a free Southern California Genealogy Jamboree 2018 registration.
We'll also have one auction item, a library card catalog---pretty cool, huh?

Sign-up today. We can't wait to see you there!

20 June 2017

Want to see Judy G. Russell? Time is Running Out.

Posted by Shannon Reese

July 5th is the last day to get the early bird price to see Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist, for an all-day genealogy seminar so don’t delay and book your seat now.

We’re hosting the internationally recognized expert in law and genealogy on September 23rd for an all-day seminar in Berkeley. She has an amazing ability to help you understand how the law both impacted your ancestors’ lives then and how now those laws can help you with your family history research.

Included with the ticket price are four lectures, including the sought after "ABCs of DNA" that is suitable for all researcher levels. You'll also enjoy a catered buffet-style lunch.

Who is The Legal Genealogist?

With her law degree as her calling card, Judy has become one of the most respected genealogists speaking around the country. It’s this keen insight into how the law affected our ancestors that sheds light onto our collective past.

She has her own acclaimed blog, The Legal Genealogist, to which she continually adds amazing content that helps both the new and experienced genealogist.

Judy is both a certified genealogist (CG℠) and a certified genealogical lecturer (CGL℠). You can learn about her numerous credentials at her Association of Professional Genealogists page.

Want to know more about her? Check out my interview with her from a previous blog post and see why you should join us in Berkeley on September 23rd for her seminar. Remember to book by July 5th to receive early bird pricing!

25 May 2017

An Interview with Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist

Posted by Shannon Reese

The Legal Genealogist is coming to town! The California Genealogical Society is hosting the nationally known expert in law and genealogy, Judy G. Russell, on September 23rd for an all-day seminar in Berkeley.

Who’s The Legal Genealogist?

With her law degree as her calling card, Judy has become one of the most respected genealogists speaking around the country. It’s this keen insight into how the law affected our ancestors that sheds light onto our collective past.

She has her own acclaimed blog, The Legal Genealogist, to which she continually adds amazing content that helps both the new and experienced genealogist.

Judy holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® (CG℠) and a Certified Genealogical Lecturer (CGL℠). You can learn about her numerous credentials at her Association of Professional Genealogists page.

We hope you’ll join us for Judy’s seminar, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy learning a bit more about her. I recently talked with her on a variety of topics, mostly genealogy of course. Here’s what I learned:

What are your latest personal genealogy projects? At the moment, I'm still trying to identify some dropped-off-by-space-aliens ancestors using DNA to augment the few surviving records. I'm hot on the trail of a third great grandmother and her parents at the moment.

How did the genealogy bug bite you? My mother's family is Scots-Irish. That means I grew up listening to the stories -- and at some point you really want to know if there's even a chance that some of the stories might possibly be true. Once I got started looking into the reality, rather than the stories, I found that the truth was at least as much fun as the stories -- and sometimes the stories were even true.

As an attorney, what unique skills do you bring to the field of genealogy? First and foremost, a legal education gives me a comfort level with a whole series of resources that are critical but arcane to the average genealogist: the laws themselves.

Let's face it: most of the records we have wouldn't exist if the law didn't require them. Even the information recorded is dictated by legal mandates. So we can't really understand the records unless we understand the laws -- and the laws, to me, are old friends rather than scary enemies. Beyond that, my experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney and legal educator makes me want to hunt for the facts and then present them clearly so I can convince others.

What do you feel are the most important ingredients in being a successful genealogy researcher? Tenacity and curiosity. You have to want to look under every rock -- and you have to go ahead and actually turn over every single rock.

How would you describe your teaching style? I'd hope most people would find it down to earth -- with a leavening of humor.

What do you hope seminar attendees learn from your seminar? I have a mantra: to understand the records, we have to understand the laws as they were at the time and in the place where the records were created. If folks come away with a clear understanding of why that's so important, it'll be a good day all the way around.

What would you say to those contemplating registering for your seminar? Besides "come to the dark side, we have cookies"? Seriously, genealogy -- and the law as it impacts genealogy -- can be fun. And when you add in a dollop of science through DNA the whole thing takes on shapes of CSI.

What do you do like to do when you aren't working on genealogy? There's life beyond genealogy? Really? Okay, okay, in my abundant spare time (koff koff), I play with the cats and am an amateur photographer.

Law, genealogy and tenacity...Judy’s got what it takes. We hope to see you on September 23^rd in Berkeley for her seminar!

28 April 2017

Life Story Writing, Enriching Your Family History

Posted by Shannon Reese

Ready to begin writing your family history? Then join us May 27^th from 1pm - 3pm at the California Genealogical Society’s Library in Uptown Oakland.

What’s it about?

Member Craig Siulinski will lead an engaging presentation that describes how writing your autobiography excerpts can enhance and enrich your family’s history. Free to members. Register here.

What to expect

In addition to participating in a few exercises that jog the mind and memory, attendees will write a short piece on one life story theme. Writing tips will be discussed and every participant will receive an eBook.

The main goal of this presentation is for participants to appreciate how genealogists writing their own autobiography excerpts can supplement and enrich their family histories.

Come be a part of this fun learning experience---register today!

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Craig Siulinski is a teacher and writer as well as an avid genealogist. He holds a Master of Science degree in Education from Cal State University East Bay, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern Maine. Craig teaches K-12 education and is currently a Learning Specialist at Stanbridge Academy in San Mateo.

Documenting family stories and researching genealogy have been Craig’s passions since 2007. His first blog called August Legacy, is dedicated to his maternal grandfather, Auguste "Gus" Albert.

He has led classes and workshops to encourage others to use blogs for sharing their own family histories. In 2014, Craig created Sharing Legacies to help others tell and preserve their family stories for generations to come.