Those who enjoy reading this column seem to have dual goals: nostalgia, reminiscing about the days and times of youth, and also to gather information about the way things were when grandparents or parents lived in Wooster Square. You see, for some, family history remains fragmented or unknown. Those who are now seeking DNA-based documentation are also looking for something real to attach to the genetic analysis.

I wonder how it is that so much about the lives that our ancestors lived in places such as Wooster Square seem to have become clouded and incomplete. Why isn’t there a more fully developed archive of that immigrant experience? Why is it that many families didn’t speak of the trials and difficulties that so many endured as newcomers to Wooster Square?