Question of the Week: Do you have Spanish or Mexican roots?

Question

On this day in 1821, the Mexican Empire declared independence from the Spanish Empire. Have you been able to trace any of your family lines to either Spain or Mexico?

Comments

My father is Hispanic. I was told his father and mother were descendants of Spain, and Mexico with also native American.  My mothers father was german and her mother was from Poland.  My DNA does not reflect any roots to Mexico or Spain.  I have 44% East European, 21% West European, 16%Ireland/Scotland/Wales, 15% Great Britain, 2% Iberian Peninsula and >1% Scandinavia and >1% Aftrica North.  Shouldn't I have some DNA to indicate that I have Spanish/Mexican father?

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Yes it should.  If your father is still alive he can take the test to confirm It.

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My father was not Spanish.  As I wrote, I am a DESCENDANT of a Spanish Puritan who came over int the 1700's.

I am no longer interested in having anything more to do with the Spanish project.

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Iberian Peninsula = Portugal plus other place.  Portugal has Spanish roots.

https://portugal.com/portugal/information/history/iberians   and  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Iberian+Peninsula/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0xd69d53cee2b5e97:0xbffbfb7ed27eca70?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiCtMDywbvcAhWEmeAKHbr0AX8Q8gEIKDAA

Also depending on the company you used for testing the definition of Western Europe may include Spain.  

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-countries-are-considered-western-europe.html

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I believe Iberian Peninsula is Portugal and Spain.

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I'm from Louisiana and have a long list of Acadians in my family tree, but very few Borres ancestors. My grandfather was Wilfred Borres and his father was Emile Borres but that's all I have been able to find. I do know that Emile married Alizia Broussard and they had 3 children, all boys. My mother told me that her grandmother, Alizia Broussard, said that Emile's was of Spanish descent. Has anyone come across a Spanish / Borres connection?  Borres has been spelled: Borress, Bores, Boras,Borrez, Borus,  I don't know who Emile Borres' parents were or if he had siblings.

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I do not have any Borres/Boress/Bores/Boras/Borrez/Borus ancestors that I know of.

Unless someone comes up with a SPANISH Puritan named Manuel Gunsalus/Gonzales (or other variations) who came over to the British Colony of North America in the late 1600's or early 1700's, I am not interested.  

Manuel Gunsalus (sic) was my 7th great grandfather;  Harriet Gunsalus was  his 6th or 7th granddaughter and was married to my great grandfather Dewitt Frank Newell.  That's all I know, for sure.

Leslie Newell

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Hi

I just came across your comment on Wilfred Borres, while searching my own Spanish tree. We’re you able to find him. I came across someone that may match.

Thanks

Alma

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G2G:

    My daughter married into proud Spanish and Mexican heritage, her husband's last name is Medina who married a Trujillo. Roots of both families are at least in Aguascalientes, as far back as I could trace the genealogy in the 1600s. My question is how far back into settlement of Mexico do those Spanish names go? What ethnic backgrounds do they have? I suppose Medina extends back to the Middle East.

Chet Ogan

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Hi

Very good question. I’ve tried to verify surnames that trace back to Mexico, but other than two sisters with surname Acabá I have not found any traces to Mexico. 
As for Medina, my paternal aunt married a Medina Lebron, I have only been able to  trace them back 1825 San Sebastián, Puerto Rico. 
For Medina I have that it is from Iberian Pennisula, specifically Catalonia. It does have Moorish influences. It’s believe to mean holy place from the Arabic Mdina.

Thank you 

Answer 1

My mother was Josephina Montoya, of Alamosa, Colorado. Her mother was Leocadia Gallegos.  I know that some of my family was from Valencia, Espana.  

My son-in-law is from Ciudad Fernandez, Mexico.  

We have a rich heritage and treasure every one of our ancestors.

Answer 2

My Spanish roots go through Sir Walter Blount's wife, Sancha de Ayala.

Sancha is the 19th great grandmother of David

1. David is the son of Vaughn Vernon Hughey [confident]
2. Vaughn is the son of Martha Frances (Profitt) Hughey [confident]
3. Martha is the daughter of Thomas Eli Profitt [confident]
4. Thomas is the son of Stephen Sewell Profitt [confident]
5. Stephen is the son of Sarah Elizabeth Proffitt [confident]
6. Sarah is the daughter of Nancy Anne (Tompkins) Proffitt [confident]
7. Nancy is the daughter of Elizabeth (Jackson) Tompkins [confident]
8. Elizabeth is the daughter of Joseph Jackson [confident]
9. Joseph is the son of James Jackson Sr [confident]
10. James is the son of Elizabeth (Seaman) Jackson [confident]
11. Elizabeth is the daughter of John Seaman [confident]
12. John is the son of Ann (Hicks) Seaman [confident]
13. Anne is the daughter of Anne (Smith) Hicks [confident]
14. Anne is the daughter of Anne (Skipwith) Smith [confident]
15. Anne is the daughter of Henry Skipwith Esq. [confident]
16. Henry is the son of Alice (Dymoke) Skipwith [confident]
17. Alice is the daughter of Joan (Griffith) Dymoke [unknown confidence]
18. Joan is the daughter of Rhys Griffith Esq [unknown confidence]
19. Rhys is the son of John Griffith [unknown confidence]
20. John is the son of Ann (Blount) Griffith [unknown confidence]
21. Anne is the daughter of Sancha (Ayala) Blount [unknown confidence]
This makes Sancha the 19th great grandmother of David.

If I were pre-1500 certified, I could remove the unknown confidence levels

Some have tried to connector her to the Byzantine emperors without success.

I have a second family connection to her as well through Constance Blount as my great-great grandmother Nancy Carolyn (Cox) Profitt is also descended from Lady Sancha.

Answer 3

My paternal great-grandmother Merrine "Minnie" Remedios Gomez was born in 1899 in Atarfe, Granada, Andalucia, Spain. She died in Hayward, California at the age of seventy-seven. Her daughters marriage certificate says she was 'Spanish-French.' I met her when I was very young and don't remember much about her.

Answer 4

A colleague of mine called me a "gringa Mexicana" which pretty much sums up that part of my heritage.  A cousin ended up in Mexico, where he married a Mexican woman and had 5 children.  Through many strange coincidences, our families found each other, and so I lived in Mexico and many of them lived here in our own family exchange program.  Mexico is an amazing country.  No one would leave it if they didn't have to.

Answer 5

I do not, but I love the food!

Answer 6

My mom's parents were born and raised in Mexico, so I'm half mexican.

Comments

But are they genetically Mexicanos? Indianos, or Espaniish (Espaniolas??)? --or were they from various other nations in Central and South America? For instance if I had ancestors born in any South or Central American nation, they'd still genetically be Jews and Germans, Englishmen and Scots with a pinch of Irish thrown into the pot. I would be the Californian or the American.

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they are the run of the mill mexicans. both of her parents have indigenous and spanish roots, along with a little bit of african. my grandpa appears to have a bit middle eastern/sephardic(is a larger % of his dna than the african component) as well

Answer 7

Yes, both!

Answer 8

This question make me feel very honored. I have 100% Mexican roots.

I've identified several Spanish ancestors of mine. I'd like to mention my 5th. great grandfather Manuel Antonio Fraguio. He took really seriously he came to "populate the New Spain", he got married 3 times!

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I also want to share the following, in the hope you could find it interesting:

Tome is a location in Valencia County, New Mexico. This is the front page of the book of baptisms beggining on April the 1st. 1827. At that time New Mexico was part of Mexico (From 1821 to 1848)

(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9DX-8VV5)

 

Comments

That's wonderful, Rubén!

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I'm glad you like it Julie.

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Bravo, Ruben, and for posting the document too.

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Thank you for your comment Roberta !

Answer 9

I personally am not of Latino heritage, whether from the Americas or from Spain, but I have a great-niece who is, because of her mom, who's Mexican-American, and I have cousins whose dad is of Mexican heritage.

It would not surprise me to learn that I have Mexican cousins through my grandfather.  He spent some time in Mexico chasing after Pancho Villa.  I have always wondered if the memories he left there may have possibly included children.  Not saying anything about him nor anyone there, I am just saying I think it's possible.

Answer 10

I do, my maternal ancestors come from the town of Rubalcava in Cantabria Spain. My grandmother Luciana Rubalcava descends from the Gonzales de Rubalcava family.  Mateo's (1525) son Alonso Gonzales de Rubalcava was a conquistador and one of the original families of Jalisco, Mexico. González_de_Ruvalcaba-11.

 

Answer 11

Descended from Jews who left Spain after Ferdinand and Isabella kicked them out.

My family traveled through Mexico, and into New Mexico; these "Crypto-Jews" married within their population, so I have the same set of grandparents on five different branches.

Answer 12

Yes, both Mexican and Spanish roots.  Earliest known paternal Spanish ancestor: Juan Hernandez (El Scribano) and his wife, Ana Velasquez...from Caceres, Extremadura , Spain, circa 1570. This line decends from much earlier ancestors from Galicia...Asturias, Spain. Maternal side decends from Central American Native grandmother in deep ancestry of Mexico.

Answer 13

Married to a Spaniard. Always suspected I may have some Sephardic roots, but proof awaits further research.

Answer 14

Yes, my paternal grandparents were born and raised in Mexico.  Surnames are Segura and Pompa from Leon, GTO, Mexico.

Answer 15

Do you consider it relevant if descent is English back to Edward I's youngest daughter Elizabeth Plantagenet Bohun? She is my 20 great grandmother, and is the granddaughter of St. Ferdinand III Castilla?

Darms-1

Answer 16

Yes I am from De'Antone. I don't OK now much about this family.

Answer 17

I am all mexican, born and still live in Mexico.

I know I have Spanish roots but haven't got there in my genealogy tree.

Answer 18

Yes.           Spanish

Answer 19

My mother's mother always told us that my maternal grandfather, born in Texas, was Mexican and Indian, and he himself told my mother that he was Greek and Cherokee. According to my own DNA test results, I am Spanish, Greek, Turkish, and... Asian Indian (from India) --not American Indian as was supposed. My DNA shows not even a trace of Native American ancestry. So, where did my mother's father get the idea he was Cherokee? I did some research and found out that his father's mother, Nancy Burga (Scott), was the daughter of Joseph Burga (Scott) whose mother, Nancy (Rodgers) Scott, was taken from Oklahoma and, according to newspaper reports, held captive in Illinois by members of the Potawatomi tribe --which did share some reservation lands with the Cherokee. Grandmother Nancy Rodgers Scott was "rescued" by (reportedly) a "French" fur trapper who, after several years, finally brought her back to her husband in Oklahoma, with a little infant boy in tow --Joseph Burga.

Comments

In DNA testing Native American genes show up as Asian genes, therefore if there are no known recent asians in your family, then you are indeed native Americans. Native american are descendants of Asians of old, and scientist have recently that even the middle eastern ancients can also have lent a little to the Native American gene pool. Here is a link about it. 

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131120-science-native-american-people-migration-siberia-genetics/

Personally, I believe Native gene pool is a mix of Viking and Asian, after all it was the Viking who really discovered America, 100’s of years before Columbus. Which would explain why they dont look like Asians.

Also look at the color difference between Tribes, Cherokees for instance are light, perhaps East Asia and Viking, Choctaw, dark perhaps West Asian and Viking mix. 

I have met many pple who never knew, that dNA testing cant exactly say Ameri-Indian, most can only see the asian dna and like u assume they are Asian. You are not the first to make this mistake. If you did not find any Asian in your tree, then you are indeed Native. Your ancestor was a captive woman, who may have had A baby by her captors. It is Possible Joseph was not the French trappers son but a product of her captivity. But for her reputation The trapper said the boy was his, back then she would have been treated poorly had the truth come out. If you have no French in your DNA at all, u wouldnt be a descendant of the French Trapper, if u have some, doesnt mean it came from him, it just means you cant rule him out. Could also be the captivity story was not truth, she may have fallen for a strapping warrior, who was killed. Then French guy makes an honest woman of her. lol. 

My personal dna, when taken the rawdata to gedmatch , says Yakut, an ancient Siberian Asian pple, that are one of the ancient ancestors of Native americans, I have 2%, my kids have none. Gedmatch will actually give you a better idea if its Native, or Asian, it will say Ameri-Indian. Upload your raw data to gedmatch for a more detailed analysis, gedmatch is Free.

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Thank you, Yvonne! :)  I am aware of the limitations of DNA evidence --it's very, very much in its infancy, and for that reason I long resisted getting any sort of DNA test for genealogy purposes. I still wouldn't put much faith in the majority of companies popping up all over the place right now.

How ironic it would be if my Southeast Asian Indian genes turned out to be Southeast American Indian after all! :) Maybe Columbus wasn't so totally wrong when he assumed they were Indians. I'd be an Indian Indian. Would love for that to prove to be so, and maybe it will.

The AncestryDNA team assures me they take the Asian roots of all Native American groups into consideration when they make their calculations, and that even with that in mind my DNA still shows no resemblance to anything remotely Native American. Still, they could be wrong, I agree. Time may tell.

Definitely there is strong East Asian ancestry among Native Americans, but is there evidence of Southeast Asian ancestry among them (from between Pakistan and Northern India, as in my case)? I don't know. When I was a child, there were teachers and such who actually did comment that I and others in my mother's family appeared to have roots in India --the rumor even went around school for awhile that my grandparents came from India, which I always denied of course.

I'm guessing that whoever my Greek ancestor was (possibly the so-called "French" fur trapper, I suspect), was also the source of my Mexican/Spanish and Turkish-Pakistani genes. I do have French and Dutch ancestry on my father's side, less than 5% total according to the DNA test results.

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What an excellent article, Yvonne!

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131120-science-native-american-people-migration-siberia-genetics/

And from National Geographic, no less!

Very reputable. Thank you for sharing!

Makes me think maybe I should give the Mormon missionaries in town here a call. It's exactly what they've been saying, for centuries. I have no trouble admitting it.

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Raised Jewish (not Christian) from birth by my maternal grandmother, who insisted we were Jewish. But, my DNA test results don't confirm it. NOW I'm wondering if there could be something hidden in my Spanish genes which AncestryDNA hasn't detected.

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My test, like yours, also mentioned a middle east Indian, in particular said Nepali, along with Yemen and the Yakut, I know for a fact no one in my family is from these countries, ive traced my lines back to medieval times in some lines. I totally believe this is what the article is talking about. These are my Native American roots. My grandma always said we were Choctaw, Cherokee and Osage. And when i researched Choctaw, i was struck by how dark they are. They are the same color as a Middle eastern and East Indian pple can be. Darker than most other Natives, there are a couple of other tribes just as dark.

I think what these dna companies need to do is have a Native American DNA Project. Testing all current known Natives would help sort it out better and give more understanding. Which would help us all figure it out. I believe its coming, I hope so, I agree only time, as testing and interpretation get better, will tell.

but at least u know now, that u cant rule out being Native, that a test will say Asian, because all Asians whether east or west, are the parent group of  Natives. This is not the only article about it either, and Henry Louis Gates has also mentioned it on his PBS show, Finding Your Roots. Many of His Black guest always think they may be Native, and he always tells them, if you are, it will show up as Asian, because these test cant pick Out the Native yet, and most are surprised, they are not Native at all. Lol

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Dear Yvonne, I'm inclining to agree with you. Even though it is rather common for people of Greek ancestry, such as myself, to have Turkish and other Asian ancestry thereby, it does seem more likely now that my Asian genes actually are Native American in origin, given the facts you've made so very plain. My family are very happy to hear this. We lived all our lives believing we are Native, and the AncestryDNA results' saying we are not were quite a disappointment --until now. Thanks again!

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In general, genealogy DNA tests don’t label Sephardic Jewish ancestry (Jews from Spain or the Iberian peninsula). This is primarily because this group of Jews intermarried with non-Jews in their communities and the DNA of most Sephardic Jews is very similar to that of others in the area. In contrast, Ashkenazi Jews tended to practice endogamy which is why their DNA is able to be identified as its own group in testing.

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While it certainly is a possibility that Native American DNA can show up as Asian, it would be erroneous to assume any Asian results are automatically Native American.

I do want to point out that Native American results CAN and DO show and tests can pick up on them. My own DNA results are an example of this. I have no Asian, but I do have Native American. It shows on each of the major testing databases as well as in GEDmatch.

So, while I am agreeing that Asian results can indicate Native American heritage, people should not assume that Asian is just another name for the Native American results that they were hoping for.

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Thank you for the clarifications..I had suspected as much.

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You probably have some Romani (Gypsy) ancestry, which is where that South Asian Indian is coming from. It's erroneous to assume that all "Asian" DNA is actually Native American. While they are related populations, they are not identical, and South Asians in particular are distinct from the more Easternly Asian populations. Plenty of people have bogus "Cherokee" stories in their family. It was often a cover for other ancestry they didn't want to claim.

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Thank you! We have long suspected that and there have been hints.

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So think about what the northern hemisphere of Earth looked like 40,000 or 50,000 years ago. There were great ice sheets halfway across the northern hemisphere. Our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, following herds of great animals for protein sources.  The animals roamed below the ice sheets, therefore most human migration would be south of those ice sheets, with but few exceptions. Also sea levels, water being bound up in ice, would be much lower. Glaciers would be extending into the northern oceans.  There was a huge expansion of human occupation of Earth 50 even 60,000 years ago. So human occupation of Asian steppes likely was somewhere around mid continent; land migration, therefore, would have also across mid continent.

   Evidence shows aboriginals settled Australia around 50-60,000 years ago. Evidence recently uncovered shows North American may have become occupied at least 30,000 years ago, pushing back by 11,000 years evidence of early occupation.  

   Depending on the area where ice was present, the Asia > America land bridge may or may have been traversable. Nonetheless humans have been building boats framed with bent sticks or bones with dried hides stretched over the frame. Therefore some migration may have been along coastlines where fish, crustaceans, and gastropods would have been available as well as algae- seaweeds- on which those animals fed or within which those animals took protection from predation.

   My genetic roots are R1b which may originate around the Caucasian region of Eurasia. My genealogy shows at least two Native American lineages, however, no Native American shows in my DNA. Who knows what R1b genes may have been in people who migrated across Asia toward the land bridge, so maybe not all of my relatives (first in Jamestown in 1611 to 1615, next in Massachusetts Bay in 1620) came from western Europe after all.

Answer 20

My GGGGGrand father,Antonio Piferrer, born 1820?Barcelona Spain,wife Theresa,son,Domingo born 1840 Barcelona, died 22/2/1915,Canfield,Victoria,Australia.I'm still trying to trace Antonio's roots.