My aunt posted an inquiry on Facebook Italy because there are relatives on my father's side who still live in Italy, most likely in the Calabria region. My great-grandfather, Pasquale Domanico, came via Ellis Island a very long time ago and changed his name to Charles Domanico. I know that he had family that he wanted to bring to the U.S. later on, but unfortunately he was unable to do that. My great-grandmother is Anne Marie De Rose Domanico. The De Rose family is also from Calabria. At the time my great-grandparents met, it was common for immigrants from specific parts of Italy to live in one geographical area of the U.S. A lot of people from Calabria lived in Racine, Wisconsin.
The Mexican side of my family is a little bit more complicated. My great-grandparents, Antonio and Margarita Yniguez, came to the U.S. from Michoacan, Mexico after Antonio's brother was killed. Their descendants now spell the name either Iniguez or Iniquez. Margarita's maiden name was Mendoza. The story I heard was that Margarita's mother was arranged to be married to someone else, but Margarita's father took her away on his horse. The law caught up with Margarita's father later on because he was a "pistolero" (gunfighter). I understand there is a picture of this somewhere. His name was Rafael.
If anyone stumbles onto this and recognizes any of these names and/or stories, comments are appreciated.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
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