All these “tion” words… wow!  Confused?  Here’s an attempt to clear things up a bit, for the benefit of those of us who are just beginning to learn and pursue Genealogy.

Emigration refers to the act of an individual or group departing their country of origin, in order to settle elsewhere.  Immigration describes the arrival of this individual or group in another country.  Naturalization is the process of this individual (or group) becoming a citizen of the country where they’ve just arrived.

Let me take a moment to point out some resources that illustrate these concepts, beginning with naturalization.  A couple of general resources to consider are American Naturalization Records 1790-1990: What They Are and How To Use Them and the Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States.  These sources are two of many in our collection that will assist you in your search for naturalization information and records.  With regard to immigration and emigration, a good source to consider is our collection of passenger lists.  Here’s one example: Passenger Lists From Ireland, by James Dominick Hackett.  Another extensive collection of passenger lists to consider is one we own pertaining to German immigration.  The set is titled Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving At U.S. Ports.  This source is organized first by the name of the ship, and then by the date of arrival in the various ports of entry, such as New York, Baltimore, and New Orleans.

There are other related materials available in the Topeka Room/Genealogy Center, so please stop by and have a look.

(Image courtesy www.free-clip-art.com.)