Aug 5, 2017 General Meeting announcement

Information from our next meeting should help by giving  you "how to organize" your genealogy data. Please join us in hearing our feature speaker on how she sets up her computer and data. See Flier below for more information.

Hispanic Research Day San Diego 5 Aug 2017

The next meeting will be on 5 August 2017. The plan is for each person who wants to, will get 10 minutes to present some part of their family genealogy. The use of a computer with a overhead screen will be available for those who wish ro provide a Power Point presentation or just use photos to allow others to see while describing your family heritage. This will be advance notice to those who wish to participate. Time 1pm at the Central San Diego Library downtown located at 330 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101 . For other questions or concerns, call 619-236-5800 or email weblibrary@sandiego.gov

Announcing new Hispanic Thursday in South Bay

We are proud to announce that the Torrance Family History Center has allowed our organization to have an Hispanic Research day on the last Thursday of the  month for July and August. The center is testing the amount of traffic to determine if they wish to continue on an ongoing basis. Please help us in using their services for us to continue the research day. The host are experts in researching Mexico records! Thank them for volunteering for our members! Please see attached Flier for more details.

The search is on for the lost ships of Hernán Cortés, conqueror of Central America

The lost fleet is thought to lie at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés landed in Yucatan, Mexico, in 1519, eventually to conquer the Aztec empire of Central America. Now, 500 years later, Mexican researchers plan to find these lost shipwrecks and explore them to see what artefacts they might hold.

Popular accounts suggest that Cortés burnt his ships to prevent his men from attempting to flee. But Cortés himself claimed in a letter to the Spanish king Charles V that he sank, or 'scuttled', the fleet off the coast of Veracruz.

About a dozen ships are thought to remain at the sea bed in the Gulf of Mexico, where he left them. They have never been found or explored by archaeologists.




Staff writer from International Business Times

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness has Returned

The original version of Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) closed in October of 2011. Now, it appears that an effort is being made to get RAOGK going again. 

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) is a global volunteer organization. Volunteers agree to do a free genealogy research task at least once per month in their local area as an act of kindness. The volunteers have agreed to donate their time for free.

People requesting a random act of genealogical kindness must pay volunteers for their expenses incurred while fulfilling that request (if the volunteer asks for reimbursement). This can include paying for: copies of records, printing fees, postage, film or video tape, parking fees, etc. It seems fair for volunteers, who are doing a genealogical act of kindness for free, to get reimbursed for expenses relating to the completion of a request.

It is advisable that you read the FAQs before you make a request from a RAOGK volunteer. It provides important information that will help you understand how things work. Some of it might be described as “common sense”.

You must be registered before you can make a request for a RAOGK volunteer to do a genealogical task for you. Use the RAOGK website to locate a volunteer in the area where the information you are seeking is located.

Make sure you select a volunteer that has stated that they are willing to do research in that area. Do not make requests for a volunteer to look up information for you if you live up to 50 miles from where the information is located. The best way to use RAOGK is to seek assistance from a genealogist who lives far away from you, and who is close to resources that you cannot easily travel to.

Would you like to be a RAOGK volunteer? Start by reading the FAQs. Next, register with RAOGK. Somewhere towards the top of the site is a Volunteer Listing Submission Form. It is only accessible to those who have registered with RAOGK. If you are having trouble registering, there is a Contact Formyou can use to ask for assistance.

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is all about volunteering. Have you received help from a genealogist? A great way to “pay it forward” is to volunteer with RAOGK and help someone else with their genealogical difficulty. Those that want to provide more help can donate to the RAOGK GoFundMe.

SAVE THE DATE 

Genealogical  Society of Hispanic America (GSHA)
28th Annual Genealogical Conference and Business Meeting

August 18 - 20, 2017 

Ontario Airport Hotel & Conference Center 

700 North Haven Avenue 

Ontario, CA 91764

"Ancient Trails to Super Highways...Discover Your Roots"

Senderos antiguos a supercarreteras...Descubra sus raices

It’s been twenty years since the Genealogical Society of Hispanic America - Southern California Chapter hosted the GSHA Annual Genealogical Conference and Business Meeting. In 1997, the conference was held in Long Beach, California. This year’s conference is being held in Ontario, California. This year also commemorates the chapter’s 25^th anniversary.

With the support of GSHA National President, Paul Gomez and GSHA Southern California Chapter President, Leonard Trujillo, the conference planning committee is working on making this year’s conference an exciting and memorable event.

Our special guest room rate is $99.00 per night, single or double occupancy. This rate will be extended two days prior to and two days after the conference. Daily breakfast vouchers may be purchased for $12.00 per person upon registration at the hotel.

Detailed instructions are provided on the GSHA website for how to book your hotel room with our discounted group rate.

To make room reservations on-line, please visit the GSHA website to access the special on-line link: http://www.gsha.net/conference/lodging/. Or call 909-980-0400 and ask for the GSHA special rate. If you have any questions, please call the hotel.

The Ontario Airport Hotel & Conference Center is a half-mile from I—10 and is 2.2 miles from both the Ontario International Airport and the Ontario Convention Center. The hotel also offers free parking and shuttle service to the airport and anywhere else within 5 miles. The rooms offer free Wi-Fi and coffeemakers. The on-site restaurant and bar serves breakfast and dinner. There is also an Internet café, a heated outdoor pool, a hot tub, and a fitness center.

Hotel reservations must be made by July 18, 2017 

to ensure the special group rate

To register for the conference, go to the GSHA website at http://www.gsha.net, click on the programs & conference tab to download the registration form. 

This year’s conference will feature a wide range of topics that will include presentations on the history of colonial Mexico, California, and the Southwestern United States, involving migration, historical people and events, DNA and a “how to” on doing genealogy research.

The list of conference speakers and titles of their presentations are as follows:

Debbie Gurtler (Keynote) of FamilySearch, Vaya Con Dios—Columbus’ historic voyage in 1492 set in motion the exploration and colonization of the Americas with Spanish and Portuguese conquistadores leading the way. This presentation will highlight key historical events along with the push and pull factors that led Hispanic immigrants to leave their native lands to come to North America. Important research resources will be highlighted.

James Brewster of Family Tree DNA, Understanding DNA for Genealogy

John Schmal, Genealogical Research in Northern Mexico

Letty Rodella, President of the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, Spanish Patriots During the American Revolution

Marietta Vigil Gonzales, Vigil, Quirós, Argüelles and Related Family Lines in Medieval Spain: Who? When? Where? How?

Nancy Melendez of the Spanish Town Heritage Foundation, La Corazon de La Placita

Dr. Carlos Herrera, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at San Diego State University, Juan Bautista de Anza The King’s Governor in New Mexico

Ceasar Castro, Alta and Baja California and the Mexican War 1846-1850

Paul Spitzzeri, Museum Director of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum, To the Best of My Knowledge and Belief Thomas W. Temple II and the Authority in History

Ernest Miller, chef, historian, educator, and consultant, Chiles, Chili and Hot Sauce A Spicy Sampling of California History

Alexander King, Director-at-Large The Old Spanish Trail Association, New Mexican Immigration to Alta California Between 1830-1855

Colleen Greene, MLIS, librarian, web developer and educator, The Suspect Centenarian Using a Common Source to Connect to Mexican Origins

Karen Cordova, poet, Crossing the Borders of My Heart

Hope to see you at the conference!

Early Bird Deadline Coming up soon July 15, 2017