Resources for Mexican genealogy?
January 31, 2020 5:08 PM Subscribe
A few years ago my partner took a DNA test with Ancestry and tried to build her family tree, but she hit a roadblock on her Mexican father's side pretty early on. Complication: father was undocumented.
He came to the US illegally and the only info she has for him is his very common Mexican name, where he worked at the time of her birth, his birth year, birth place, and his parents' names (but possibly they are incomplete considering their naming conventions). She also knows that he was the youngest of 9 children and suffered from epilepsy. He was never really a part of my partner's life growing up, but we know that at least 20 years ago he died in a hospital or care facility somewhere in WA state.
Complications are that he was undocumented, the place where he worked doesn't exist anymore (and she also strongly suspects it was a front for the Mexican mob and has no desire to go digging around anyway), and he died so long ago that it's unlikely any facility would still have those records. The place in Mexico where he was born is very small and very rural, but it's possible he was baptized there and a church may have a record, though it's doubtful they would have digitized anything.
Does anyone have any experience with tracing Mexican ancestry? Do you have any resources or suggestions on where/how to research this? TIA!
He came to the US illegally and the only info she has for him is his very common Mexican name, where he worked at the time of her birth, his birth year, birth place, and his parents' names (but possibly they are incomplete considering their naming conventions). She also knows that he was the youngest of 9 children and suffered from epilepsy. He was never really a part of my partner's life growing up, but we know that at least 20 years ago he died in a hospital or care facility somewhere in WA state.
Complications are that he was undocumented, the place where he worked doesn't exist anymore (and she also strongly suspects it was a front for the Mexican mob and has no desire to go digging around anyway), and he died so long ago that it's unlikely any facility would still have those records. The place in Mexico where he was born is very small and very rural, but it's possible he was baptized there and a church may have a record, though it's doubtful they would have digitized anything.
Does anyone have any experience with tracing Mexican ancestry? Do you have any resources or suggestions on where/how to research this? TIA!
Best answer: Do her DNA results on Ancestry have any matches on her father's side? If other siblings or cousins of his also emigrated, they might have descendants that would reveal some clues.
If either of you are on Facebook, there are a lot of specialty genealogical groups on there, from DNA-based, to records-based, to specializing in specific states or countries... and then there are "search angel" groups that will help research just for the fun of mystery solving.
posted by xo at 6:31 PM on January 31, 2020
If either of you are on Facebook, there are a lot of specialty genealogical groups on there, from DNA-based, to records-based, to specializing in specific states or countries... and then there are "search angel" groups that will help research just for the fun of mystery solving.
posted by xo at 6:31 PM on January 31, 2020
Is the issue with his parents' names that you only have one surname and wonder if you're missing a second? Or what's the situation?
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:02 PM on January 31, 2020
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:02 PM on January 31, 2020
Best answer: Ancestry provides search access for Washington State death records, which are recorded as a matter of state law. The search results do not include extended family information such as spouse or parentage. However, if he died here, there should be a state record of his death. The complete information has to be requested from the state, and that information is supposed to include a Social Security number.
My vague sense is that before 9/11 SSNs were issued regardless of documentation and emigration status, however that could be in error. Additionally, if your spouse was not in close touch with him, one supposes it might be possible that his immigration status was rectified but you could be unaware of it.
Can’t hurt to look!
posted by mwhybark at 11:47 AM on February 1, 2020
My vague sense is that before 9/11 SSNs were issued regardless of documentation and emigration status, however that could be in error. Additionally, if your spouse was not in close touch with him, one supposes it might be possible that his immigration status was rectified but you could be unaware of it.
Can’t hurt to look!
posted by mwhybark at 11:47 AM on February 1, 2020
Best answer: DNA cousin matches are the key to a brickwall this close to the present. One of her father's cousins who also came to the US kept better records. Find them, and make the connection. I would suggest contacting all 2nd cousin or closer matches first.
posted by hworth at 6:23 PM on February 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by hworth at 6:23 PM on February 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for your suggestions. I ordered a death certificate from WA state and crossed my fingers that I happened to select the right one. When it comes and doesn't lead anywhere I'll try the next one on the list.
I wonder that I don't have the full names because Mexican naming traditions include multiple family names and their common name may be different from their full name (i.e. Luis Edgar Javier Alvarez Rodriguez is the full name and the family always called him Eddie Rodriguez and what is actually in the databases is Luis Alvarez). I have first, middle, and last, but there's no guarantee that's the whole story.
She has reached out to the 2nd cousins on Ancestry and hasn't received any responses. I urged her to try again, but she seems reluctant for some reason.
Will check out the FB groups, too!
posted by E3 at 3:01 PM on February 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
I wonder that I don't have the full names because Mexican naming traditions include multiple family names and their common name may be different from their full name (i.e. Luis Edgar Javier Alvarez Rodriguez is the full name and the family always called him Eddie Rodriguez and what is actually in the databases is Luis Alvarez). I have first, middle, and last, but there's no guarantee that's the whole story.
She has reached out to the 2nd cousins on Ancestry and hasn't received any responses. I urged her to try again, but she seems reluctant for some reason.
Will check out the FB groups, too!
posted by E3 at 3:01 PM on February 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best of luck! My wife’s last name is Perez, and my mother in law’s maiden name was Rodriguez. Both my in-laws emigrated from Cuba after the Revolution. Both families were fairly well-to-do, so there are pictures and some documents here. But municipal records in Cuba haven’t been integrated into Ancestry’s search base yet, and pre-Revolutionary records are likely to be idiosyncratic and from both church and governmental sources.
My father in law knows a ton of family history, but it is hard to hold his attention and he wanders from English into rapidfire Cuban Spanish with detours into Spanglish. He’s 92. I suppose I should just sit down with him, his daughters, and a tape recorder or something and then try to pull a transcript out.
Regarding DNA, my wife has tons of hits on Ancestry and 23andMe, mostly for US resident emigres. We have not needed to pull those threads to get answers.
I guess the only other thing I’d want to mention is that maybe you should be attentive to your partner’s reluctance. She might know why she is reluctant and not wish to share that; or maybe it’s just scary and sad for various reasons, known and unknown. It’s totally interesting to find these connections and I am very glad I pursued my own reunion, but it’s also been challenging along many axes. It’s probably a good idea to make sure figuring this out is something she wants.
posted by mwhybark at 4:13 PM on February 4, 2020
My father in law knows a ton of family history, but it is hard to hold his attention and he wanders from English into rapidfire Cuban Spanish with detours into Spanglish. He’s 92. I suppose I should just sit down with him, his daughters, and a tape recorder or something and then try to pull a transcript out.
Regarding DNA, my wife has tons of hits on Ancestry and 23andMe, mostly for US resident emigres. We have not needed to pull those threads to get answers.
I guess the only other thing I’d want to mention is that maybe you should be attentive to your partner’s reluctance. She might know why she is reluctant and not wish to share that; or maybe it’s just scary and sad for various reasons, known and unknown. It’s totally interesting to find these connections and I am very glad I pursued my own reunion, but it’s also been challenging along many axes. It’s probably a good idea to make sure figuring this out is something she wants.
posted by mwhybark at 4:13 PM on February 4, 2020
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Also, to add: I just upgraded my Ancestry account to the international version and could potentially access Mexican records if they are online.
posted by E3 at 5:18 PM on January 31, 2020