Last Thursday’s PGSNYS membership meeting, “Research Night: Breaking Through Our Members’ Brick Walls,” featured an interactive panel discussion format similar to the one that was such a hit at our August 2025 meeting. Members were invited to submit their “brick wall” genealogy questions in advance, which were reviewed by panelists Valerie Baginski, Craig Kanalley, Sandra Porter, and Julie Szczepankiewicz.

Because four of the submitted questions involved locating naturalization records, the panel agreed that a deeper dive into this topic was in order. Julie presented an overview of the naturalization process as it evolved over time, highlighting key legislation that shaped the naturalization experience of our Polish ancestors and offering examples of the various documents created during the process. She also identified key repositories where naturalization records may be found today, and demonstrated research strategies using the member-submitted questions as real-life examples.

Following Julie’s presentation, the other panelists shared additional insights drawn from their own research experience, and members had the opportunity to ask follow-up questions during a lively Q&A session.

Additional discussion topics included the use of aliases and nicknames by Polish immigrants in historical records, as well as tips for locating Polish vital records.

The recording is now available on our Meeting Recordings page for members to access.