My Italian Family

Provided by: Bianca Ottone

From 1880 onwards, 25 million Italians have migrated from their homeland to the New Worlds struggling to achieve a better future, if not for them, at least for their children and grandchildren. Most of them have never returned. Today new generations look back and wonder how was their Italian ancestors’ life and to get an answer, yes they can start questioning their family members, but what they really need is to have a contact back in the place of origin.

With Italian genealogical research, most of the records are still housed in public repositories, which are often difficult to access. A birth certificate may still be found in a small mountainous village or in a parish church with an overworked priest who spends more time traveling from town to town than saying Mass. How can the Internet help? . . . . by giving people the opportunity to have someone else research his or her family on site.

My Italian Family is a new venture that provides research services through a network of professional genealogists with extensive experience in deciphering Italian records, often handwritten in Latin or local dialects, via the Internet. For those who do not have the essential information to start research in Italy, genealogists based in US and Canada are available to consult sources or repositories of the needed information.

The aim is to provide people with useful information on available records and record sources both in Italy and US whether they are conducting the research on their own, or they simply want to know more about the research being done by genealogists on their behalf. We are making available information, research tools and free tips for writing directly to public repositories. In addition, customers who commission a research project will be able to access a dedicated area where they will be able to track the progress of their research.

No matter how far back the research goes, a collection of names and dates is just not enough to create a connection with our family. The stories and memories that we missed hearing from our grandparents and great grandparents are the heart of a family tree. Italian writers are adding a unique voice by contributing with a collection of stories from their families and from the people of their region. Memories are not just of those lost times, but are part of a beginning, knowing that losing our roots inevitably leads to a loss in our identity as people who live, think and love.

My Italian Family processes requests for a single record or for an involved dual citizenship application. Language is no longer a barrier: translation services are offered to translate handwritten records, old letters, and any other type of document including correspondence with newly discovered relatives in Italy.