It would be best if you can find the people in question in the Federal census records. (Signing up for Ancestry.com is great for this, even though it means I'm giving money to the Mormons.) In the late 19th and early 20th century census records, they list not only place of burth, but also place of birth of person's father & mother, so you can see what their ethnic background is, even if they are first generation American. In some of the later census records, they even had a column for language spoken. In the ones before than (c.1900, for example), you would see both country and ethnicity jammed into the place of birth column, such as Russia, Yiddish, or Austria, Slovak (The Austro-Hungarian empire included a lot of different ethnic groups).
  The problem with classifying someone's ethnicity based on last name inlcude the fact that it only reflect's the father's origin, whereas the mother may have more influence on the ethnicity of the household - type of diet, purchase of household goods, etc. Also, since last names were carried over with immigrants, can you tell an immigrant from Spain apart from one from Mexico who had Spanish ancestors many generations before?
  Meli Diamanti

"Robert L. Schuyler" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
  Can anyone suggest some good sources (books) on the ethnic identity 
of personal names? How can you tell if a name is Italian, Hispanic, 
(even Puerto Rican vs. Mexican etc.) Irish, German, Polish, Russian 
etc. when you are dealing with migrants in the United States? Or is 
this possible?

Period: Late 19th Century and 20th Century
Place: United States

Bob Schuyler


At 08:27 AM 10/22/2008, you wrote:
>I think the peace symbol is an adaptation of signal corps flags
>(semaphore letters) for N and D - nuclear disarmament. It was the symbol
>of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
>
>http://www.cnduk.org/index.php/information/info-sheets/the-cnd-logo.html
>
>
>Daniel B. Davis
>Archaeologist Coordinator
>Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
>Division of Environmental Analysis
>200 Mero Street
>Frankfort, KY 40622
>(502) 564-7250
>-----Original Message-----
>From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ron
>May
>Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 4:26 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: question re "happy face" pins
>
>The so-called Peace Sign is actually a Norse Rune adopted by the
>anti-nuclear movement in the late 1950s. I recall seeing a group of
>protestors standing
>outside General Atomic in San Diego in 1958 and the signs had that
>symbol.
>Over time, the Rune shifted to protest war and by the 1960s it became
>the Peace
>symbol.
>
>Ron May
>Legacy 106, Inc.
>
>
>In a message dated 10/21/2008 9:38:03 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
>Happy Faces and "Peace Signs" were both common while I was in the army
>in
>Germany in early 1969 and more so while stationed at Ft. Bliss in late
>1969
>and early 1970.* * I remember "peace signs" from the army in 1968 and
>before
>I was drafted (in 1968) back in 1967.
>
>:-)
>
>
>
>On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 4:16 PM, Cami McCraw 
>wrote:
>
> > Hi Matthew,
> > -Also building on what Ron May just posted, I really think it came
>around
> > 1970. I know for sure I had never heard of it in elementary school,
>but it
> > was the 'in-thing' at some point in 6th grade, (1970-71).
> > Now, maybe it was 'invented' before that, but just became popular at
>least
> > where I was in 1970. Back then with no internet and limited
>television,
>fads
> > took a little bit longer to spread. (I'm not an archaeologist BUT we
>are
> > radio/TV/editing folks.)
> > By the time I entered high school ('73), we were also beginning to
>see
> > these same smiley faces in various colors instead of only yellow.
>(But of
> > course those were never as popular as the yellow!)
> > I do think it was very much tied in with the Nixon era, and wasn't
>Nixon
> > always flashing the 'Peace' sign on television? So yes, the smiley
>face was
> > tied in to 'Peace & Love and general happiness'. I believe the
>'flower
> > power' stuff may have started in the late-60s, so just before the
>smiley
> > faces. (But you are right- not much difference.)
> > If anyone ever has a chance to see old TV reruns of 'The Wonder
>Years',
> > you'll get an accurate window into the fads of those times and even
>the
> > political ties, especially if you pay attention to the small details
>in the
> > show. (Folks my age won't need that, but for younger listmembers it
>may be
> > helpful.)
> > -Cami
> > http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/NewChronology/
> > http://stretchproductions.com/RohlProducts.html
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matthew Tomaso"
>
> > To: 
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:27 PM
> > Subject: Re: question re "happy face" pins
> >
> >
> > I remember them from the early 70s as well. I was never quite sure
> >> whether to symbolically associate them with flower power or the
>'don't
>worry
> >> be happy' rhetoric of the Johnson and Nixon Administrations.
>Perhaps
>there
> >> isn't much difference.
> >>
> >> Matthew S. Tomaso, M. A., RPA
> >> Senior Archaeologist and Project Manager
> >> Cultural Resource Consulting Group
> >> O: 732-247-8880 x-30
> >> Cell: 908-875-0345
> >>
> >
>
>
>--
>Smoke Pfeiffer
>
>Remember: When seconds count, the police are only minutes away!
>
>
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