Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Hispanic Genealogy Tips

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Hispanic Genealogy Research Tips

​Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and contributions of Americans who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. It is also a great opportunity to explore your own Hispanic ancestry and learn more about your family's origins.

How to Start Hispanic Genealogy Research

If you are interested in learning more about your Hispanic ancestry and heritage, you might be wondering how to start your genealogy research. Genealogy is the study of family history and origins, and it can help you discover your roots, connect with relatives, and preserve your legacy.

• One of the first steps to start your Hispanic genealogy research is to gather as much information as you can from your living relatives and family documents. You can interview your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives to find out their names, dates, places, and stories. You can also look for family documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, immigration papers, passports, photos, letters, diaries, and other records that might have clues about your ancestors.
• ​Another step to start your Hispanic genealogy research is to use online genealogy sites that specialize in Hispanic records and resources. These sites can help you find and access millions of records from various countries and regions, such as civil registration records, church records, census records, immigration records, and more.

Online Genealogy Sites for Hispanic Research

Some of the most popular and reliable sites for Hispanic genealogy research are:
 

• FamilySearch: This site offers free access to over 2 billion records from Latin America and Spain, as well as guides, tutorials, webinars, and communities to help you with your research.
• Ancestry: This site has a large collection of Hispanic records from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America, Spain, and Portugal. You can also use AncestryDNA to discover your ethnic origins and connect with relatives.
• MyHeritage: This site has a dedicated portal for Hispanic genealogy research, where you can search for records from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. You can also use MyHeritage DNA to find genetic matches and explore your family tree.

• Geneanet: This site is a collaborative platform where you can share your family history with other researchers and access millions of records from Spain and Latin America.

Records for Hispanic Genealogy Research

Another important aspect of Hispanic genealogy research is to know what types of records are available and how to use them effectively. Some of the most useful records for tracing your Hispanic ancestors are:
 

• Civil registration records: These are official records of births, marriages, deaths, divorces, and other vital events that were kept by the government. They usually contain information such as names, dates, places, parents' names, witnesses' names, and sometimes occupations and residences. Civil registration records are available for most countries in Latin America since the late 1800s or early 1900s.
• Church records: These are records of baptisms, marriages, burials, confirmations, and other sacraments that were kept by the Catholic Church. They usually contain information such as names, dates, places, parents' names, godparents' names, and sometimes social status and ethnicity. Church records are available for most countries in Latin America since the 1500s or 1600s. Whether any records that are that far back have survived, are available online, or you can get access to them in any what at all is a whole other story.

• Census records: These are records of population counts that were conducted by the government or the church. They usually contain information such as names, ages, genders, marital statuses, occupations, residences, and sometimes relationships and origins. Census records are available for some countries in Latin America since the 1700s or 1800s. Again, whether any records that are that far back have survived, are available online, or you can get access to them in any what at all is a whole other story.

By using these online genealogy sites and genealogy records, you can discover more about your Hispanic heritage and connect with your ancestors. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

More Hispanic Genealogy and other Genealogy Resources:
Learn about more Hispanic genealogy research resources, along with other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.