Two Case Studies: Recreating the Lives of Our Immigrant Ancestors

Two Case Studies: Recreating the Lives of Our Immigrant Ancestors

Saturday, October 25, 2025

11am - 1:30 pm, PDT (with 30 min break)

Presented by Linda Harms Okazaki

Live online via Zoom (register here), or watch live from CGS Library (no registration required). Members may view recording upon request. See below for details.

Linda Okazaki will present her extensive research and the resulting case histories for two immigrant families. Originating from different parts of the world, the Nii's and the Gonzalez' journey ended in San Francisco.

Three Generations of a Japanese Immigrant Family- A Case Study

Sansuke Nii immigrated from Japan to Mexico in 1907, eventually settling in Placer
County. Through thorough research, the story of his life, and the lives of his
descendants can be recreated using federal and local documents, photos, and oral
history.

An Immigrant Family in Pre-1906 San Francisco - A Case Study

Despite profound record loss following the San Francisco earthquake and fire, family groups can be reconstructed using newspapers, maps, city directories, block books, and religious records. You will learn about the Gonzalez family, including Gibraltar immigrant, Dominick, his Irish wives, and his children.

MEET OUR SPEAKER:

Linda Harms Okazaki is a fourth-generation Californian who is passionate about teaching people of all ages to research, document, and share their family histories. Her areas of interest include the western U.S., upstate New York, England, Australia, Japanese Americans, and the use of DNA in genealogy. Ms. Okazaki is the past president of the California Genealogical Society and a charter member of the Nikkei Genealogical Society. She serves as a research consultant for both Ancestry’s Progenealogists and Densho.org. Her column, “Finding Your Nikkei Roots,” is published bimonthly in the Nichi Bei Weekly. Ms. Okazaki is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Genealogical Speaker’s Guild, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

ATTENDANCE INFORMATION:

As part of California History Days: This event will be broadcast in our classroom. Bring a bag lunch for the break from 12-12:30. No registration required.

We are located in the historic Breuner Building at 22nd Street & Broadway, one block north of the Paramount Theater, in Uptown Oakland. We are just three blocks from the 19th Street BART Station. Parking is now $5 in the lot behind our building. See Directions & Parking

For those attending online: Register here to receive the Zoom link. The event will take place via Zoom. If you join, please sign in early to make sure you are able to see the program. We will send you instructions the night before, and a reminder shortly before the event, which will give you access. When registering, use an email address you will be checking. Please note all times are Pacific Time.

You do not have to have a Zoom account to attend a Zoom meeting. You will be prompted to download the software, once you have clicked on the link that you have been provided. You may also wish to create an account, but that is not required to participate in a Zoom meeting.

This event is presented live. Some events may be recorded for CGS use.

See you online!

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

Pre-registration for Zoom attendance is required. Class size is limited so register early to confirm your spot.

CGS members and Non-members may attend the live event free of charge.

You can purchase a $45 one-year CGS Basic membership when you check out. To sign up for other membership options go to our web page: CGS Membership application

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Credit card payments will be processed by Eventbrite.

*Event fee is non-refundable.first