{"id":98847,"date":"2024-05-03T09:47:33","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T13:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=98847"},"modified":"2024-05-03T09:47:57","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T13:47:57","slug":"for-cinco-de-mayo-5-tips-for-starting-your-mexican-family-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/for-cinco-de-mayo-5-tips-for-starting-your-mexican-family-tree.html","title":{"rendered":"For Cinco de Mayo: 5 Tips for Starting Your Mexican Family Tree"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article \u2013 to help celebrate Cinco de Mayo this Sunday \u2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega gives tips and helpful links for exploring your Mexican family history. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Cinco de Mayo, or May 5th, is not Mexican Independence Day. This special day actually commemorates an 1862 battle during the Franco-Mexican War: during the Battle of Pueblo, the underdog Mexican army was victorious over the larger French army. The day in Mexico is one of patriotic pride.<\/p>\n

In America, Cinco de Mayo has become a Hispanic cultural holiday, with less emphasis on the true roots. In fact, this holiday seems to be celebrated more in America than in many parts of Mexico. Cinco de Mayo in America is now a commercialized holiday with emphasis on Mexican food and drink.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: performers at the White House celebration of Cinco de Mayo in 2007. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, perhaps Cinco de May has got you wondering about your Mexican family history. Ready to start researching your Mexican roots? The following are five tips to get you started.<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Start with Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Always start your family history research with questions. What do you already know? Where did your family live? What is your research question? What records exist for that time and place?<\/p>\n

Make sure to start an online family tree or fill out a family tree form. You should also keep a research log of what you find. You\u2019ll want to record what you know and what you learn along the way.<\/p>\n

Tip #2: Seek Out Home Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n

Always consider home sources when starting family history research. Don\u2019t overlook inherited items that appear to have little genealogical value. For example, I was researching a Mexican ancestor who immigrated to Texas from Chihuahua in the early 1900s. Very little was known about him. His Texas middle school report card in the possession of the family didn\u2019t seem relevant \u2013 but it provided his parents\u2019 names. The mother\u2019s signature on the card added more to the story. Previously it was believed that the man had immigrated with a sibling and not his parents, but his mother\u2019s signature on the report card showed that she did indeed come to the United States. That report card signature led to additional records.<\/p>\n

Consult home sources and ask questions of family members. Any family document \u2013 no matter how insignificant it may seem \u2013 with careful analysis may hold a valuable clue.<\/p>\n

Tip #3: Start with the United States<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your Mexican family immigrated to the United States from Mexico you will want to start with records about the immigrants created here in the United States, before you research back in time using Mexican records.<\/p>\n

Start with records created in the United States. Records to exhaust include border crossings, naturalizations, censuses, and vital records. Those records can help you identify where to research in Mexico.<\/p>\n

Newspapers are integral to genealogical research. Don\u2019t forget to identify Spanish-language newspapers printed in the United States and popular where your ancestors lived. These newspapers would have reported on Mexico as well as local Mexican American communities. This will provide some historical context for your ancestor\u2019s time as well as a possible mention.<\/p>\n

GenealogyBank has a collection of Spanish-language and bilingual newspapers dating back to the early 1800s. You can search them here: Hispanic American Newspaper Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: dancers at the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival in Washington, D.C. Credit: dbking; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tip #4: Know Your History and Records<\/strong><\/p>\n

History<\/u><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re ready to start researching Mexican records and repositories, knowing the history of Mexico can help.<\/p>\n