{"id":95035,"date":"2023-10-04T10:46:42","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T14:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=95035"},"modified":"2023-10-04T10:47:52","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T14:47:52","slug":"reading-the-social-pages-en-espanol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/reading-the-social-pages-en-espanol.html","title":{"rendered":"Reading the Social Pages en Espa\u00f1ol"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 to help celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega gives tips for researching Hispanic ancestors in Spanish-language newspapers. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Twentieth-century newspaper social columns are a boon for genealogists. Social columns list activities, events, and organizations that our ancestors took part in. In addition, they include vital record events documenting births, marriages, and deaths.<\/p>\n

In this article, to help celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), we\u2019ll look at how social pages in Spanish-language newspapers can help you learn more about your Hispanic ancestors. (Note:<\/em><\/strong> even if you don\u2019t speak Spanish yet have Hispanic ancestors, you can still find important family history information in Spanish-language newspapers; see links at the end of this article to find out how.)<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Mexican Dance Ensemble, Los Quetzales, performs at the Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Hispanic American Heritage Month observance. Credit: Ashley Henry; U.S. Army; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spanish-language newspapers in the United States were printed for the Spanish-speaking population that existed in that town or city, as well as for the larger Spanish-speaking community outside of local boundaries. Finding personal information such as an ancestor\u2019s name is more likely to occur when the newspaper was intended for a local community.<\/p>\n

Knowing more about how a newspaper titles columns and various sections of the paper can help when you are searching for a specific type of article, especially when you are glancing through your results list or need to do a keyword search rather than just a personal name search.<\/p>\n

In short, learning more about a newspaper\u2019s social column can assist you in finding information about your ancestor. It\u2019s true for English-language newspapers, and it\u2019s true for Spanish-language newspapers as well.<\/p>\n

Reading the Social Page of the Heraldo de Mexico<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

GenealogyBank has a large selection of Spanish-language newspapers that were printed across the United States, spanning the 19th<\/sup> and 20th<\/sup> centuries. Click here to see our Hispanic American Newspaper Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For this example, I\u2019m using the Heraldo de Mexico<\/em> newspaper from Los Angeles, California. According to the Library of Congress, this newspaper began in 1915 and ceased publication in 1952.*<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at the 6 February 1927 issue. The social page can be found with the heading \u201cDe Nuestra Vida Social\u201d which translates to \u201cOf Our Social Life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Heraldo<\/a>
Heraldo de Mexico (Los Angeles, California), 6 February 1927, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let\u2019s start with the headings at the top, reading from left to right. English translation is in parentheses:<\/p>\n