The Rhode Island Heritage Commission (now merged with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission) produced numerous interesting booklets about the diverse ethnic heritage communities in Rhode Island. Published a few decades ago, they are now available online.
These little booklets offer an historical perspective on the communities and neighborhoods as they developed in Rhode Island along with illustrations including some maps, churches, portraits and street scenes although the images did not reproduce well in these copies.
Each volume offers a valuable bibliography (from a few decades back) which may point out some lesser-known resources for the history of these groups.
Follow the links to the volumes, below, or see the whole set at the RIHPC website.
The full list of booklets:
The Arabic-Speaking People in Rhode Island (1986)
The Armenians in Rhode Island (1985)
The Cape Verdeans in Rhode Island (1990)
The French in Rhode Island (1988)
The Germans in Rhode Island (1985)
The Greek People in Rhode Island (1994)
The Irish in Rhode Island (1986)
The Italians in Rhode Island (1990)
The Jews in Rhode Island (1985)
The Lithuanians in Rhode Island (1992)
The Portuguese in Rhode Island (1985)
The Southeast Asians in Rhode Island (1988)
The Ukrainians in Rhode Island (1988)
Although these booklets will seldom name individuals and definitely don’t contain any records, they are a guide to the kind of background and history that’s needed for setting a family’s story in the perspective of time and place.
See also my prior listing for the town-by-town guides to historic neighborhoods and architecture: A Sense of Place.
Thanks to Sara Campbell for alerting me to the appearance of these ethnic heritage books online.
One Rhode Island Family 
[…] Stories of Rhode Island’s Diverse Heritage by Diane Boumenot on One Rhode Island Family […]
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What a marvellous batch of history, Diane!!
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These are great, was their ever a Polish one?
I have some RI Polish connections in 1900’s Warren, RI and Woonsocket, RI. I remember some of them being buried just over the border in MA.
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Apparently no. Perhaps a suitable author was not found at that time.
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thanks, Diane, for sharing this and all the work you do!
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These booklets were a Christmas gift 2 years ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them.
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Hi Diane, My GGG Grandfather, Solomon Whipple was born in Providence RI about 1790. I believe his mother’s maiden name was Brown and I believe that one of his mother’s sisters was named Fidelia or Phidealea Brown. Can you recommend a genealogist to help me search for this branch of my family tree. I have researched this for a long time and cannot find any information regarding Solomon’s family. Thank you.
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Hi. I do not make referrals to local genealogists other than to refer people to those on the Association of Professional Genealogists Directory who say they offer Rhode Island research. I believe the family you are describing is a known problem on the popular Whipple site: https://genweb.whipples.org/d0622/I49045.html
Sometimes I take clients, but not for this particular problem which will probably require onsite research into deeds. Such work will not be possible in the next 6 months. You need someone with better access to records than I have right now.
I do wish you success with this.
Diane
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Wonderful news!
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