Using New Ancestral Journeys to Explore Your Latin American and Iberian Roots

These journeys are based on genetic analysis of thousands of other Ancestry members and span the past 300 years. They can give you greater insight into where your ancestors lived, stories about the history they lived through, and hints about which ancestors may have been a part of the journeys. By combining your journeys results along with access to billions of historical records available on Ancestry, you can jumpstart your research. My husband’s own ancestral journeys were an exciting complement to the research we already had about his family history.

A Closer Look: Genetic Connections in Guatemala

My husband’s heritage most recently traces to the Soconusco region of southern Mexico. This area was politically contested for much of the 19th century. It is historically embedded in the volcanic terrain of southwestern Guatemala, a borderland bursting with coffee shrubs and deeply rooted in the indigenous Mam Mayan culture.

His updated DNA results pinpointed his genetic connection to this region exactly. The results specifically identify the San Marcos region, near where many of his ancestors lived. In fact, the journeys’ polygons on the AncestryDNA map even pull in details from his family tree, highlighting where ancestors who were likely part of this journey lived.

The journey provides a timeline from 1700 onward, which details pieces of the regional history that also shaped my husband's family story. One interesting timeline point in this history is the period 1850-1875, which describes the Coffee Economy of Guatemala. This is indeed part of my husband’s ancestral history. The area in which his family lived, along the Mexico-Guatemala border, and now known as the Ruta del Café, or Coffee Route, is a significant supplier of coffee worldwide. In fact, his family still owns a small cabin on the slopes of the Volcano Tacaná, pictured below.

While a state government has administrative power over the small towns along the Ruta, a local tribal community rules this land and is outside of the purview of the local administrative government regarding some decisions. It’s an example of local communities escaping from a once-oppressive system and returning the land and traditions to the native people. 

What’s fascinating is how record collections mirror this story. If your DNA results point to this region, by looking through civil records in southern Mexico and Guatemala, you might be able to identify potential ancestors who were laborers on fincas (coffee estates). The parish records from colonial Guatemala list mixed unions—mestizo, mulato, moreno, criollo—reflecting the complex identities of many of these people. 

Below, for example, is the marriage record of my husband’s second-great-grandfather, which highlights that he was a farmer in Motozintla, a town on the Ruta del Café. His mother lived on the coffee finca “Irlanda,” which still exists today as a working finca on the Ruta. With the incredible handwriting recognition tools available on Ancestry, it’s possible to pull out details like names, dates, and locations, even from these difficult-to-read historical documents.

By exploring the Latin and Central America record collections available through Ancestry, such as colonial censuses or baptism and marriage books from the 1500s through the 1800s, family history researchers can often link DNA matches to real names, families, and towns.

Bridging the Gap Between Stories and Family History

For those of us with deep Latin American roots, tracing our lineage can sometimes feel impossible. But this is where AncestryDNA* becomes a bridge. As I often tell those interested in exploring their family history: Start where you are.

• If you haven’t yet, take an AncestryDNA test. I encourage all my clients—and you—to start here to learn about your heritage and see all the parts of the world that conspired together to bring you here. 

• Then, begin with what you know—interview your relatives, record their stories, and collect family photos. Contact your genetic matches on AncestryDNA and talk about your family to learn how you’re related. I have found some of my most treasured photos and forgotten stories of my ancestors through messaging my genetic matches.

• Finally, check out Ancestry membership options to access record collections—from 19th- and 20th-century civil registrations to passenger lists and military files—to build your family’s modern tree. Sign up for a World Explorer or All Access membership to enjoy our international and special collections!

As one of the AncestryProGenealogists researchers specializing in Hispanic research, here are some of my favorite Latin American collections I’ve worked with on Ancestry:

• Puerto Rico, U.S, Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1901-1962–these passenger lists show a direct link between your ancestors and their birthplaces abroad. Puerto Rico wasn’t just a destination for European immigrants, but a hub connecting the Americas.

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Immigration Cards, 1900-1965–Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was also a major hub for immigrants en route to locations all over the Americas. The original immigration cards often include photos of your ancestors, and name their date and place of birth, along with other helpful information.

• Global, Find a Grave^® Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current–contains burials from cemeteries across the world.

Let DNA and records work hand in hand to guide you toward those deeper roots. Step by step, you’ll see how your family’s unique story fits into the vast history of Latin America. Take time to explore your own voyage through AncestryDNA, the many historical records available on Ancestry, and the living stories your family carries.

Don’t forget to sign up for a free trial of Ancestry to decide which membership works best for you. If you need a little extra help, reach out to me and my colleagues here at AncestryProGenealogists—we’re a team of professional genealogists who specialize in your ancestral homelands all over the world, and we’d love to help you on your journey of discovery.

*Some AncestryDNA features may require an Ancestry subscription.