It took years, but I managed to track down my ancestor's application to exit Prussia in 1881.
The reason for leaving? The emigration officer recorded my ggg grandfather's one sentence explanation:
"He thinks he'll do better in America.”
No doubt that our immigration laws need to be enforced, that our border should be secure, but we must never forget that people's reasons for coming here have never changed: to be the best version of themselves.
Reaching America is an act of curiosity, courage, determination, and hope.
@ShaneMac Is there an easier way to parse base.eth? It’s hard at a glance to delineate between base.eth and just .eth without scanning the entire handle.