Immigrant Cluster Communities: Past, Present and Future – By Lisa A. Alzo


Event Details


Presentation

There are a handful of “cluster” immigrant communities throughout the United States that blossomed during the immigration influx of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Exploring “cluster genealogy”—the process of researching those relatives, friends, and neighbors who lived near an ancestor—can often break down brick walls in the search for individual family lines and help to place our ancestors’ lives in historical context. For those descendants who’ve moved away from such traditional immigrant enclaves, 21st-century technology can be used to rebuild “cluster communities” in the virtual world. This lecture will cover: How to identify chain migrations/cluster communities using key records; ways to share and collaborate with other researchers, and the benefits, pitfalls, and obstacles associate with a shift to “virtual” cluster communities; and how to use tools such as social networking sites, Wikis, etc. build online genealogical communities.

Speaker

Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A., is a freelance writer, instructor, and internationally recognized lecturer, specializing in Eastern European genealogical research and creative nonfiction writing. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997. Lisa is the author of eleven books, including The Family Tree Polish, Czech and Slovak Genealogy Guide, and the award-winning Three Slovak Women, and hundreds of magazine articles.  She also developed the Eastern European Research Certificate Program for the International Institute of Genealogical Studies and works as an online educator and writing coach.  Lisa is a frequently invited speaker for national conferences, genealogical and historical societies, and webinars.  Visit <https://www.lisaalzo.com> for more information. 

This is a Zoom only meeting.

Please register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/RYM9ybLkR7SldxgLcIYk5w