Mexico Finding Town of Origin

Mexico Locating Place of Origin

Sometimes the most difficult part of researching your immigrant Mexican ancestor is locating their hometown. If your Hispanic ancestor came from Mexico to the United States, the following record types might provide that elusive clue to their place of origin.

Important Tips
Before you can begin to search in the records of Mexico you must find that one record that gives the name of his or her hometown. You must also know enough about the ancestor to positively identify him in the records. Dates (even if they are approximate), places, and familial connections are key to helping you decide if a person you find, who has the same name as your ancestor, really is your ancestor.


 * Do you know the name of his parents?
 * Do you know his birth, marriage, or death date or can you calculate an approximate range of years to search for his birth, marriage, or death?
 * Do you know the name of his wife? Did they marry before or after coming to the United States?
 * Do you know the names of any of his siblings?

Documents in the home
Often the document you need to pinpoint the place of origin of your Mexico ancestor is already found at home. These might include the following:


 * Birth certificates
 * Marriage certificates or licenses
 * Death certificates
 * Obituaries
 * Funeral cards
 * Journals
 * Photographs
 * Letters
 * Family Bible
 * Naturalization papers
 * Citizenship papers
 * Military service records

Emigration Questions to Ask Relatives
Find the oldest living relatives that you can and ask them:


 * 1) What do you know about our first ancestor to come from Mexico? (open-ended)
 * 2)  Have you ever heard mention of towns in Mexico where the family lived?
 * 3)  Do you have contact with any relatives in Mexico?
 * 4) . Do you have contact with other branches of the family in the U.S.?
 * 5) . When _____________ came from Mexico, did he travel with other family members?
 * 6) . Do you know when _________________ arrived?
 * 7)  Did _______________ever become a citizen?
 * 8)  Did_________________fight in World War I or II?
 * 9)  When they first came, were there already family members here who they joined?
 * 10)  Did_______________ever mention their parents in Mexico?
 * 11)  Do you have any old letters or postcards from Mexico family?
 * 12)  Do you have any pictures of family members in Mexico?

Census Records

 * The censuses for 1900 to 1930 ask for the year of immigration and whether or not the person was naturalized. This information can help you find naturalization records or a passenger list.
 * United States Census Online Genealogy Records will give you links to every census. The FamilySearch links lead to a free search, but the search engine is not as reliable. The other links are for subscription websites, but they can be searched free-of-charge at any Family History Center.
 * State census records vary in availability and the type of information they contain, but they are always useful as another source to document an ancestor in a specific locality. See U.S. Online Genealogy Records by State for links to online state censuses.

Vital Records
Understand that any birth, marriage, or death certificate gives information about other people besides the primary person it is about
 * 1) It is important to remember that a birth certificate for a child might tell it's parents' birthplaces.
 * 2) Marriage certificates might name birth dates and places of the bride and groom. They might also give the names and birth places of the parents of the bride and groom.
 * 3) Death certificates are very important.  Birth and marriage certificates might not have kept by a state during the earlier years of your ancestor's life.  There is a greater chance that your ancestor died after detailed record-keeping began. Death certificates frequently state birth date and place.  They also state the names of parents and their birth places.


 * There are wiki articles giving details on how to find vital records o each state. You can select the state of interest and the record (birth, marriage, or death) from this list: How-To Articles.
 * Many records may be online. See U.S. Online Genealogy Records by State, for online vital record databases.

Cemetery Records
Websites such as FindAGrave and Billion Graves are making it easier to get information from headstones, which frequently give birth dates, and occasionally give birth places. Each state has additional collections of cemetery records. See U.S. Online Genealogy Records by State for links to other online cemetery records.

Obituaries
Modern obituaries usually list birth date and place and parents' names. See U.S. Online Genealogy Records by State and select your state for links to online obituary collections.

Military Records
Draft records for World War I and II ask for birth place, which can be listed as just Mexico or in greater detail.
 * Index and images.
 * U.S. WW I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Indexes and images. ($)
 * image browse, alphabetical by state.
 * Images with partial index.

Social Security

 * The application for the Social Security card may also contain a town of birth. These records are available for deceased individuals who died after 1935 when Social Security began.
 * U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 ($)
 * U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Incomplete, ($).
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index does not cover every application--it has sort of an eclectic mix of what got included. If you find your ancestor in the Social Security Death Index but not in the Social Security Applications and Claims Index, you can send away for a copy of the application.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index does not cover every application--it has sort of an eclectic mix of what got included. If you find your ancestor in the Social Security Death Index but not in the Social Security Applications and Claims Index, you can send away for a copy of the application.

Naturalization Records

 * Naturalization records may also list an ancestor’s birth place.
 * Prior to 1906 any U.S. court could naturalize foreigners. Many pre-1900 records only list “Germany” as the country of citizenship; however, there are notable exceptions, so these records should be checked routinely.
 * The process involved two sets of papers: a declaration of intention to become a U.S. citizen, and a petition filed some time later.
 * Beginning in 1906, naturalization records became more detailed, as the responsibility shifted to the Federal government.
 * More information about naturalization records, along with helpful links, is found at Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records and United States Naturalization Online Genealogy Records.

Other record types that might also provide clues
If you don't find the record you need at home, you may consider a search for any one or several of these types of documents. Often the key to finding the place of origin is to view every document you can find on your ancestor no matter how significant or insignificant you might think it is.


 * Catholic Church records
 * Border Crossing Records If your ancestor crossed the border between 1895-1957.
 * Alien Registration Form If your ancestor lived in the United States between 1 August 1940 and 31 March 1944). Search the index online and then request more information via email if you find a possible match before ordering the complete file.

1930 Federal Census of Mexico
If you know your ancestor was living in Mexico in 1930, you might want to search the 1930 Mexico Federal Census but you must remember that the collection does present a few challenges.


 * The record coverage is not complete. Many places are missing including the Distrito Federal or Mexico City.
 * You must be able to recognize your ancestor in the context of his family. If you don't know the names of parents, siblings, spouse and/or children or other identifying factors to confirm his identity, your search may be an exercise in frustration.