Lisa Medina’s presentation on Mexican genealogical research was received by an enthusiastic audience, both online and in-person. She focused on how to begin our research, where to find resources, which jurisdictions and government entities hold the needed records, and why it is important to become familiar with naming practices and traditions.
Lisa divided her Introduction to Mexican Genealogy into four major sections: language, spelling and naming conventions, genealogical practices, and research tips. Her vast knowledge about the history, jurisdictional and governing divisions of Mexico’s past, fascinated me. Although I personally do not have Mexican ancestry in my family tree, my maternal uncle’s wife, Gladys Jeanne James, descended on her mother’s side from generations of Mexican citizens. Lisa’s lessons will now help me to continue to fill in the missing details in my Aunt Jeannie’s family tree. I’m especially interested in finding their border crossing documents.
One of the more interesting aspects of Lisa’s lecture was learning where to locate specific records. It is important to understand that essential repositories are sorted from state level to municipality to pueblo to province to archdiocese and, finally, parish. Knowing where to start looking is vital to avoid wasted efforts. Another key aspect is knowing about the naming practices in Mexico. Men’s and women’s surnames follow specific traditions and can be extremely important when searching for birth and marriage records.
Genealogical research in Mexico shares the same basic format of research practices that we all are familiar with: define your goal, use what you know, create a plan, analyze records, and write down your conclusions. Another point that Lisa emphasized was to become familiar with the Spanish spelling and handwriting used in the various documents that are vital to success. Much like any form of genealogical research, we should not overlook what records can be found in church, civil, and the 1930 census records currently available through FamilySearch.
It is my hope that this year’s Show & Tell program will contain a presentation about a successful search for ancestors from Mexico. As for myself, it will take me a while to delve into my Aunt Jeanne’s Mexican heritage. But at least I now have a roadmap of sorts to help me identify and trace her Gutierrez, Rodriguez, Bonilla, and Arechiga ancestors. I’m sure my cousins, Marilyn, John, and Jennifer will enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Let us know what you’ve discovered about your ancestors from Mexico.