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Chicano/a, Hispanic, and Mexican-American Genealogical Resources in San Diego, California and Surrounding Areas: A Pathfinder

This pathfinder draws together useful resources for genealogical research in the San Diego area (including Alpine, Calexico, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Escondido, Hemet-San Jacinto, Julian, La Jolla, Laguna Niguel, Long Beach, Mexicali, Old Town, Orange County, Otay Mesa, Point Loma, San Isidro, San Luis Obispo, Tijuana) including and/or focusing on Chicanos/as, Hispanics, and Mexican-Americans. Also listed are resources for national genealogical resources treating this geographic and/or ancestral focus.

Local Genealogical Collections

Archival Repositories

Cemetery Transcriptions

Libraries

Local Genealogical Organizations

Chicana/o, Hispanic, Mexican-American-Specific

General

National Resources

Texts

Local Genealogical Collections

Archival Repositories

Mission San Diego de Alcala Historical Society Provides information on this 1769 mission.

National Archives/Pacific Southwest Region Includes all U.S. Census films 1790-1920; Soundex, 1880-1920; Military indexes, World War I Draft Registrations, Native American records, naturalization indexes and records for Los Angeles, San Diego, and Arizona. Also provides genealogical research classes.

San Diego Historical Society Includes: Records from the Recorder's office, Coroner's Inquests (1853-1904), Record of Wills (1880-1927), and Probate Orders and Decrees

San Diego State University Special Collections and Archives Includes records from local organizations. Collections likely to be of most use to genealogical researchers are: Travelers Aid Society of San Diego County, 1914-1976; United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135, 1918-1988; San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, 1892-1985; and League of Women Voters of San Diego, 1939-1980.

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Cemetery Transcriptions

California Mission Cemeteries Provides transcripts of gravestones at most California mission cemeteries

Calvary Cemetery Provides transcriptions from this Catholic cemetery in use between 1875 and 1919 (and sporadically until 1960)

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego County, California Provides records of those buried in this once-Army Post cemetery in the 1860s and later National Cemetery.

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Libraries

Carlsbad City Library Largest San Diego-area genealogy collection. Includes the US census microfilm rolls for 1790-1870 (except for slave schedules); it has the complete schedules for California from 1850-1920. In addition, the Library has the largest collection of census indexes in Southern California. The UMI Genealogy and Local History Collection includes genealogies, local histories, genealogy journals, and primary sources.

Chula VistaCity Library and HeritageMuseum Includes genealogy section and volunteers.

The Claremont Colleges libraries, Special Collections Includes the San Gabriel Mission Matrimonial Investigation Records (1788-1861 consisting of notarized interviews with couples requesting marriage in the Roman Catholic Church http://voxlibris.claremont.edu/sc/online/marrinvest/matinvest.htm)

Escondido Public Library, Pioneer Room Includes genealogy section.

Hemet-San Jacinto Gen. Soc. Library Collection includes 10,000 journals, many indexed and 3,000 books. Address: P.O. Box 2516, Hemet, California 92343

San Diego Public Library Subscribes to database: Ancestry Library (ProQuest) Resources for genealogical and historical research, with more than 1.5 billion names in over 4,000 databases, including U.S. Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists, more. Updated daily. (at SDPL locations only)

California Room Has 3000+ books, mainly Eastern States, military records. DAR collection. Filby's Passenger & Immigration Lists Index books. Many family histories. Many genealogy CDs. Great Registers of Voters, which date from 1866 through 1909. Collection also contains the first directory published in the San Diego area and other directories including San Diego city and county directories from 1886 through 1984, and San Diego telephone directories from 1906 through the present. Also includes their genealogy pathfinder.

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Local Genealogical Organizations

Chicana/o, Hispanic, Mexican-American-Specific

Boosters of Old Town, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Descendants of Old Town Families Offers Hispanic genealogy workshops and links to selected resources.

Los Californianos This site draws together resources for genealogical research on the early Spanish Californians (the Californianos or Californios). The group publishes a biannual and a quarterly newsletter, provides access to copies of Spanish and Mexican land grants, and publishes genealogical queries and responses.

The Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research Based in Midway City, Orange County, California, this organization offers local and national genealogical research support. It provides access to a surnames and researchers database, guides for beginners, genealogy link lists, a newsletter, a journal, as well as information of general interest to the Hispanic community.

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General

Chula Vista Genealogical Society Provides research support but few other genealogical resources not found elsewhere.

Computer Genealogical Society of San Diego Provides support and resources for conducting online genealogical research regarding San Diego.

Cousin Connect – San Diego, California Genealogy Queries Online space for San Diego genealogy research queries and responses.

Escondido Genealogical Society Provides support for condicting genealogical research in Escondido and publishes regular newsletters and a journal on the topic.

North San Diego County Genealogical Society Provides continuing education on genealogy research topics and supports the activities of the Genealogy & Local History Collection of the Carlsbad City Library.

San DiegoCountyGenealogy Web Includes pages for research assistance, links to San Diego County vital records and on-line indices, books, and fee-based researchers.

San Diego Genealogical Society Includes online and hard-copy access to San Diego census transcripts, Tax Assessment Rolls, Land Records, Church Records, Cemetery & Burial Records, Coroner’s Inquests, Mortuary Records, Birth Records, and Newspaper Vital Statistics.

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National Resources

Ancestry.com – California Records The California records on this page provide a wealth of information for genealogists including searchable federal and state census records, immigration and military records, directories, court records, newspapers, and other historical and genealogical collections.

Anillo de Genealogía Hispana This Spanish-language Hispanic Genealogy Ring provides an overview to websites providing Hispanic genealogy resources.

AOL Hispanic Genealogy Special Interest Group This informal association of Hispanic genealogists on AOL’s Genealogy Forum offers links to genealogy resources, a surnames bulletin board to help researchers find each other, and support and advice for researchers.

The Autry National Center A multicultural history center including the Museum of the American West (formerly the Autry Museum of Western Heritage).

California Birth Certificates This page provides searchable access to a range of sources for California birth records (including birth certificates, birth notices, birth indices) as well as other genealogical sources for California.

California Spanish Genealogy Provides resources for genealogical research into pre-1849 Spanish families in what is now California, including early census data, family-specific pages, and members of expedition parties.

Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites for Hispanic, Central & South America, & the West Indies (Including Mexico, Latin America & the Caribbean) A link site for a collection of other websites providing resources for Hispanic genealogy, including libraries, archives & museums; mailing lists, newsgroups & chat; maps, gazetteers & geographical information; newspapers; specific family-focused resources; research services; publications, software & supplies; message boards & surname lists; and sources for records.

Hispanic Genealogical ResearchCenter of New Mexico This organization focuses its efforts on their massive surname database project (with 74989 individuals, 23943 families from a range of information sources). It also edits a journal, provides access to various reports of genealogical value, and offers links lists on its website.

Hispanic Genealogy A useful introductory site to Hispanic genealogy, providing guidelines for beginners in genealogy and in the nuances of Hispanic genealogy.

Library of Congress Hispanic Reading Room The Hispanic Reading Room provides access to resources on the Caribbean, Latin America, and Iberia as well as on those of Caribbean, Latin American, and Iberian descent throughout the world. It includes a 4,000 volume reference collection and offers pathfinders on various topics, among them Hispanic Local History and Genealogy in the United States state-by-state: http://www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/bib_guid/hispanic/california.html.

NARA Genealogy Resources: Hispanic American Records Includes: Mexican Border Crossings, Land Ownership in California and the Transition to a New Government, School desegregation in CA, US-Mexican War, 1846-1848, Records in ARC relating to Mexican Bacero program, Prologue article on Mexican punitive expedition, Resources on Hispanic History and Genealogies in the Archives Library Information Center, Links on Hispanic-American Genealogy on other web sites.

U.S.-Mexico Border Issues: A Selected Bibliography from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries' Collections While not genealogy-focused, this collection of resources should provide useful background resources for understanding the historical/political/economic/cultural context of Chicano/a ancestors in the US/Mexico border region.

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Texts

Byers, Paula K. Hispanic American Genealogical Sourcebook. Thomson Gale, 1994.

Douglas, Lee V. Hispanic local history and genealogy in the United States: Selected titles at the Library of Congress. Washington D.C.: Humanities and Social Sciences Division, Library of Congress, 2002.

Humling, Virginia. U.S. Catholic Sources, A Diocesan Research Guide. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry.com, 1998.

Kleese, William C. Hispanic genealogical research in the United States. Tucson: Family History Land, 1997.

Ryskamp, George R. Finding Your Hispanic Roots. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Ryskamp, George R. and Ryskamp, Peggy. A Student's Guide to Mexican American Genealogy. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1996.