Review – Genealogy at a Glance: Mexico Genealogy Research
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Genealogy at a Glance: Mexico Genealogy Research
By Debbie Gurtler, AG®
Genealogical Publishing Company: 2020
Laminated; 4 pp. folded
Let me start by saying that, despite being a native Californian, I am by no means an expert in Mexico genealogy research. I am, in fact, only the 2nd generation of my family to be born in the Golden State, and the focus of nearly all of my research has been in the southern and midwest U.S. states.
However, in my humble opinion, genealogy research is genealogy research. In other words, what works for researching one ethnicity may also work when researching others.
And… I can recognize a good research guide when I see one. I have several Genealogy At a Glance guides in my personal family history library, and I’ve found them super handy to keep within arm’s reach of my desk.
What is a Genealogy At A Glance Guide?
The popular Genealogy At a Glance publications from the Genealogical Publishing Company are a series of fact sheets designed to help family historians quickly get up and running with the information they need.
Each Genealogy At a Glance guide is focused on one specific area of genealogical research. Topics include the research of various ethnic groups including African American, English, French Canadian, and Eastern European Jewish ancestors, as well as research in various U.S. states, genetic genealogy, military research, census records, cemeteries, and much more. There are currently 50 different Genealogy At a Glance guides available.
Genealogy At a Glance guides are made from 11″ x 17″ laminated card stock folded in half to create 4 pages. They are easy to read, with a clear typeface and colorful headings that draw your eyes right to them.
The guides are sturdy and designed to withstand many years of use.
Description
The official description of Genealogy at a Glance: Mexico Genealogy Research from the publisher’s website:
Mexico obtained its independence from Spain in 1821. Before that date, the area under Spanish rule was huge and included much of the southern United States, from Louisiana to the west coast of California. Therefore, many people in the United States can trace their ancestry back to Mexico. This four-page, laminated guide will give you the solid foundation needed to start tracing your Mexican ancestors.
It begins with a discussion of Hispanic naming traditions and how they offer valuable clues for your family history research. Then, after a brief jurisdictional history of Mexico, the major record sources are described—civil registration records, Catholic parish records, census records, and immigration records. Some useful supplementary record sources, language aides, and a list of online resources are also included.
In other words, Genealogy at a Glance: Mexican Genealogy Research lays out all the basic elements of Mexican family history research in an easy-to-use format, allowing researchers to grasp the fundamentals of Mexican genealogy at a glance
Inside This Guide
Genealogy at a Glance: Mexico Genealogy Research is jam-packed with information in 4 short pages. The following topics are included:
- A table of contents to help you quickly find what you need
- Quick Facts and important dates in Mexico’s history from 1519 to 1929
- A discussion of Hispanic naming traditions (female ancestors are easier to trace!)
- The jurisdictional history of Mexico to help researchers know where to locate specific records
- Basic genealogical sources for researching Mexico genealogy, such as civil registration records (births, deaths, marriages), Catholic parish records (baptisms, marriages, deaths), and census records (the lack thereof)
- Immigration records, including migration, emigration, and border crossing records
- Supplementary record sources, such as military records and notarial records
- Language Aids to help descendants of Mexican ancestors read and translate Spanish handwritten records
- A list of online resources to help with your research
About the Author
Debbie Gurtler, AG® graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s degree in Family History. She worked as an intern at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. She has also made research trips to Spain, Virginia, and North Carolina.
She is employed by FamilySearch where she is currently the manager of the Latin America/Southern Europe and German/Slavic teams and Training Coordinator at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. She is fluent in Spanish. She can also read genealogical documents in Portuguese, Italian, and French. She is a member of several genealogical societies including HISPAGEN and Antzinako in Spain, the National Genealogical Society (NGS), the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, and the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) in the United States.
Debbie holds four AG® credentials. One is for the United States Mid-South region where has done extensive research in North Carolina and Virginia. Another is for Spain where she has done research in various parts of the country. The third is for Mexico. The fourth is for Portugal.
She has taught at numerous conferences including RootsTech, RootsTech London, the National Genealogy Society (NGS), and the Brigham Young University on Genealogy and Family History. She has also presented at numerous local and regional conferences and served as co-course coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG).
Wrap Up
As I said at the beginning, Mexico genealogy research is not a skill in my family history wheelhouse. But if I ever have the need to research Mexican ancestors, I will definitely begin my search with Genealogy at a Glance: Mexico Genealogy Research.
The author, Debbie Gurtler, AG®, is a trained and experienced researcher of Mexican genealogy. Her guide does an excellent job of helping even the novice genealogist learn how and where to begin researching (online and off), which records may or may not be available, and it even provides resources for reading and translating the records.
Priced at about $10 USD, you can’t go wrong with Genealogy at a Glance: Mexico Genealogy Research.
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I received a complimentary copy of Genealogy At a Glance: Mexico Genealogy Research from the publisher for review. All comments and opinions are my own.
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