ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2418-5049

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

English (Ph.D.)

Department

English

First Advisor

Anne E Geller

Second Advisor

Dohra Ahmad

Third Advisor

Steven Alvarez

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate the racialization of my own family through the examination of migration and citizenship documents, primary sources, and oral histories as told by those who were present for or knew those present for events in question. Participants, including myself, were members of the same family, identified as either male or female, and ranged in age from 30 years to 80 years old. Participants were either monolingual English speakers or multilingual in English, Italian, and/or Sicilian. The methodology used to accomplish this research was autoethnography, which allowed the use of traditional database research, archival examinations of primary documents, and the collection of oral histories. Specifically, I conducted virtual, face-to-face conversations with my parents and cousins, worked to collect primary source materials (such as my great-grandfather’s autobiography, my grandfather’s letters home from WWII, and original photographs) that were in my family’s possession as well as those that needed to be sent away for from various government institutions and genealogical service providers. The resulting dissertation has serious implications for the way early college writing curricula are formatted. Early college students that are allowed to perform similar self-reflective studies encourages the strengthening of identities, career paths, and overall purpose because of the pursuit of higher education.

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