{"id":7043,"date":"2014-05-05T15:23:51","date_gmt":"2014-05-05T15:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=7043"},"modified":"2024-05-02T11:18:30","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T15:18:30","slug":"celebrate-cinco-de-mayo-by-tracing-your-hispanic-genealogy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/celebrate-cinco-de-mayo-by-tracing-your-hispanic-genealogy.html","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate Cinco de Mayo by Tracing Your Hispanic Genealogy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega suggests celebrating Cinco de Mayo by tracing your Hispanic ancestry using GenealogyBank\u2019s <\/em>Hispanic American Newspaper Archives<\/a>\u2014and provides tips how to do this. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Looking for ideas for tracing your Hispanic ancestry this Cinco de Mayo? Maybe the typical regional newspapers aren\u2019t yielding many results in your family history searches? Have you considered narrowing your search to an ethnic newspaper? GenealogyBank\u2019s Hispanic American Newspaper Archives <\/a>have many different U.S.-based newspapers that served the Hispanic community, beginning in the early nineteenth century. These Spanish-language newspapers (note: some are bilingual) might provide the ancestral answers you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n

Need some ideas to help you get started tracing your Hispanic genealogy? Consider the following:<\/p>\n

1)<\/strong> Search for Different Types of Newspaper Articles<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure, genealogy researchers should search for their ancestors\u2019 obituaries\u2014but don\u2019t forget about other life events including marriages, births, military service, and graduations; these events were all reported in local newspapers. Remember that your ancestor was part of a community and participated in academic, religious, and organizational activities and events. Some articles may only provide a brief mention of your ancestor\u2019s name, but even that helps to place them in a specific area and time\u2014or maybe even give you an idea about when they left a place.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s difficult to list all the different type of newspaper articles you might find an ancestor listed in, but a thorough search will help you uncover articles you may not have otherwise considered. For example, finding an ancestor\u2019s name in a newspaper\u2019s unclaimed letters list might indicate that they had moved on, were moving to the area, passed away, or just didn\u2019t pick up their mail often. Noting when and how often they appear on such a list could be an important clue to follow up on.<\/p>\n

\"newspaper<\/a>
Tucsonense (Tucson, Arizona), 2 June 1915, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As you search for your Hispanic or Latino ancestor in the newspaper, consider searching by surname or full name only and not including a place name or other keywords. Now this may be difficult if your ancestor\u2019s surname is common but\u2014as you can see in the article below\u2014individuals can be found in articles outside of the place they lived in. Limiting your initial search with a location may filter out relevant articles that were published elsewhere.<\/p>\n

The following is an article acknowledging donations to help journalist and political activist Juan Sarabia, who in 1910 was detained in a Mexican prison. This newspaper article shows that donations came from donors on both sides of the border. In some cases, the city of the donor was included as well as their donation amount.<\/p>\n

\"article<\/a>
Regeneracion (Los Angeles, California), 22 October 1910, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2)<\/strong> Read the Paper to Learn More about Your Ancestor\u2019s Community<\/strong><\/p>\n

By learning more about your ancestor\u2019s community, you can get a sense of their lives and even what records may be available. Don\u2019t ignore news articles that don\u2019t specifically mention your ancestor. Learning about their community can help you tell their story. For example, learning more about important industries where your ancestor lived can provide you with information about why they migrated or why they chose a particular industry for employment. In some cases an article might point to higher wages, safer working conditions, or even recruitment of migrants with specific skills.<\/p>\n

This historical newspaper article, exploring the topic of pearl fishing in the Gulf of California, is one such example of learning more about a community. In the old news article we learn that the inhabitants of La Paz understand pearls\u2014and it makes sense they would, since the article reports that the production value in 1908 was 3 million pesos and the annual export in pearl shells was 2 million pesos!<\/p>\n

\"article<\/a>
Tucsonense (Tucson, Arizona), 1 October 1921, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3)<\/strong> Don\u2019t Assume These Newspaper Are Spanish Only: Bilingual Newspapers<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to assume that a newspaper targeting a Spanish-speaking community would be printed in Spanish. While this is for the most part true, one thing a researcher quickly learns is not to make assumptions.<\/p>\n

Not all of the newspapers in GenealogyBank’s Hispanic American Newspaper Archives <\/a>are printed solely in Spanish. For example the Ideal<\/em>, described as a national bilingual and bi-monthly newspaper, includes articles written in both English and Spanish. Looking at this issue from 1970 for Coachella, California, you can see that articles are printed in both languages side by side.<\/p>\n

\"front<\/a>
Ideal (Coachella, California), 15 December 1970, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This small newspaper includes community events, local interest articles and advertisements that provide the researcher with a better sense of their family\u2019s community.<\/p>\n

Click here to see a list of GenealogyBank’s Hispanic American Newspaper Archives<\/a> published from 1808-1978. Here you will find a table (sorted by states) that includes a link to each newspaper\u2019s search page, and lists the dates of available coverage for each newspaper.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

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