Over one million civil (non-criminal) lawsuits were filed in 2023 within the US. Among those, many thousands pertained to immigration courts, which deal with only immigration-related matters. These may include asylum requests, deportation defenses, visa petitions, and naturalization processes. In immigration law cases, there are typically only a few individuals representing each side and most cases are brief and closed. In some immigration law cases, however, there are critical reasons to hear the voices and understand the legacies brought by ancestors in immigration law cases. These are important voices that need to be heard and implemented into immigration law matters, if only as whispers from the past.
In the following, we will outline why the voices of your ancestors from decades ago can make a substantial difference in the outcome of your immigration law case today.;
The Voices of Your Immigrant Ancestors
The generations that came before you were probably immigrants to America at some point in time. The subject of immigration has multiple layers, but simply put, most of this country was founded and formed by immigrants from around the world. Because most of the US was formed several generations ago, many of us are now unaware of the immigrant story of our own ancestors. It only takes a few generations before memories, family ties, and stories are lost; as a result, we’ve lost the voices of our past, as well.
There has been a generational shift of attitudes about immigration over the years and it continues today. In the earliest years of colonial settlements, immigrants were welcomed and given plots of land, along with the opportunity to be free of societal restraints like class or culture. However, many immigrants who came faced discrimination and segregation, especially African and Caribbean families who were displaced and sent to America against their will to be slaves for life.
As time moved on and the American philosophy became more solidified, attitudes became more restrictive toward immigrants. The Irish immigration wave during the mid-nineteenth century was massive and critically important for the well-being of the Irish who desperately needed to reestablish their lives. With political constraints in Ireland and dire economic conditions in their own homeland, the Irish immigrants were desperate for new lives.
Immigrants from the mid-nineteenth century until today have been alternately welcomed and rejected as the societal attitudes in America have grown and contracted over time. The outcomes of this haven’t stopped immigrants from making the risky, highly uncertain choice to begin life again in America.
If the voices of our ancestors from all the years past no longer whisper to us, does it really matter? For some, the answer is “no” and life goes forward. For others, the answer is “yes” because knowing your past may contribute to your future and, in fact, may change your future. For a wide variety of reasons, including in legal cases, the search for your ancestors matters and their story, which is also your story, needs to be known. How is it possible to find the connective pieces that may make a difference in your life?
Discovering and Identifying Your Ancestors
There are several ways to discover your ancestral past. Some individuals spend enormous amounts of time studying and researching the past generations of their families. Most of today’s family research includes an internet search for clues, genealogy books, and multiple conversations with family members. Looking into the past for significant information means familial connections must be verified or validated in some manner. Tracking ancestors often starts in another country and continues through the port of entry into the US.
Most immigrants from eastern countries arrived in America by ship and landed in the eastern coastal area. Some years later, immigrants were directed into New York Harbor onto Ellis Island, where signatures were recorded in massive books of registry and examinations that confirmed the health status of immigrants before they gained entry into the US. Immigrants from the western countries landed along the western coastline of America and may have been processed through the port of San Francisco or other large coastal cities. To gather valid information about your ancestors, you’ll want to research information from ship records, immigration papers, birth or death records, and other valid sources. This can lead to many hours of study and take time, but it will be a rewarding and important search with several discoveries along the way.
When you do not have the ability or time to conduct a thorough search for your ancestral path, there are genealogy specialists who can take care of the research on your behalf. They will compile a full report with validations included that track your ancestry back through as many generations as possible.
When Does Your Ancestral Background Matter in Immigration Cases?
Many individuals search for their ancestral stories for the fun and delight of discovering who their ancestors were and how they came to immigrate to America. However, for several reasons, a search for ancestors can also become important for immigration purposes. Consider the following situations where an ancestral path may apply in immigration cases:
- Genetic links connected to proving familial relationships for visa applications
- Status and heritage of ancestral tribes, which can impact refugee or asylum claims
- Validation of ethnic or national lineage for specific immigration quotas
- Proof of family ties and lineage required for sponsorship or reunification applications
- DNA confirmation to support visa petitions
Facing An Immigration Case? Ask For Advice From An Immigration Lawyer
If the records of your ancestors will make a difference in your immigration case, consult an immigration lawyer at MC Law Group, LLC for advice. An experienced immigration attorney will know which ancestral records may be relevant to your case and can suggest solutions for locating and validating them.
In any immigration process, the records must be authentic and accompanied by proper validation to be accepted. Enlist the help of family genealogy specialists if necessary. Discover and document the voices of your ancestors for the benefit of your immigration journey.