A government genealogy service lets family history leap off the page

LOS ANGELES — At first glance, the photo-copied documents simply looked like government forms and applications.
But when
Mori said seeing her grandfather's photographs and reading his words brought his immigrant experience to life.
The documents came from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which runs a little-known genealogy service for relatives wanting to learn more about their family history.
The records include naturalization files, visa applications and citizenship tests, and may reveal family secrets and mysteries, said
"The details of the story have been told over time, and the edges kind of wear off," Smith said. With the documents, "there are a lot of ah-ha moments."
In the past, genealogy researchers had to file document requests under the Freedom of Information Act and sometimes waited years for a response.
Under the genealogy program, which started in 2008, requests are usually completed within 90 days. For
In fiscal year 2009, more than 5,300 requests were made, fewer than expected. In addition to relatives, historians or researchers can also request files.
"Reading about him is really interesting," Latteri said. "I don't really have a connection to him other than seeing a few photos and hearing a few stories from my dad."
Mori was just a toddler when her grandfather died, and she wanted to find out more about his life. She heard about the immigration documents during a genealogy class and submitted a request early last year.
Even though she knew some information, the documents completed the picture in her grandfather's words.
During World War II, Mori completed an application listing his height as 5 feet, 3 1/2 inches and his complexion as "yellow." A photo shows a stern man with a tall forehead who is wearing a dark suit.
In 1953, Mori applied for naturalization and took the citizenship test just before Christmas. Though his answers were in Japanese, a notation about the test said, "Apparently OK." On
"It will be a treasure chest for genealogists," said Southern California Genealogical Society President
For experienced genealogists, the files may open the doors to even more research, perhaps leading people to exact hometowns in their ancestors' native countries. And for those new to genealogy, they may be just the beginning. "For every question you answer you come up with two or three more," Wiedenbeck said.