Migration: How Did We Get to Mexico?

 I was curious about the family migration patterns, because I had heard a few snippets of information, such as our ancestors came from "deep, deep Mexico".  I know that my mother's family (Gloria Hernandez Rodriguez) might have as they had a lot of dark skinned relatives, but thought my father's side (Angelo Rodriguez) probably didn't as we had lighter skin on that side of the family.

Was I ever surprised!

Mexico to US (1912)

I started with Guillermo (Willie) Hernandez, my grandfather, because he was the first person in THIS BRANCH who was born in Mexico and died in Texas. To me, this means, his children were first generation US citizens.  He was born in 1914 in Guanajuato, Mx (which is very near Mexico City, in the middle of the country).  His father and grandfather Rafael (b. 1890) and Santiago (b. 1850) Hernandez were also born in Guanajuato. Before that, Santiago's father (Jesus Hernandez, b. 1821) and Jesus' father, Miguel Hernandez (b. 1800) were both born in Zacatecas, which is  a couple of states over in central Mexico. Miguel Hernandez from Zacatecas is my 4th great grandfather.

At the time, Guanajuato was known as a mining town, and many of the residents (the mine workers and their families) lived within communities near, if not on, the property of the mines (in Haciendas). In 250 yrs., Guanajuato was producing 30% of the world's silver, making the Spanish owners very rich. But, by 1810, the workers began a rebellion in a nearby town (look up "Grito de Dolores") to begin a war for Mexican Independence from their European occupiers.

By the late 1800's, Guanajuato had developed into a large city with other cultural and educational offerings. By the time Willie was born, they had their first college, newspaper, and had installed an electricity grid. They had added cattle , manufacturing, and beer production to their industries, and had begun large scale agriculture for trade.

Although a prosperous city, many still looked towards the United States as a place of opportunity and work for a better life. Willie migrated to the US in 1912.

In the meantime, his wife Petra Gonzalez (b. 1922 in Laredo, TX area) was already in Texas, a first generation American. Her father, Pedro was born in Nuevo Leon in 1877, and HIS father, Cayetano Gonzalez lived and died in Mexico (1868-1943) and Cayetano's father, Quirino (b.1838-?) did as well.  After these relatives, the trail hits a "Brick Wall", no further information can be found without additional clues. Quirino Gonzalez is my 3rd GGF in that line.

Backing up to Cayetano Gonzalez, my 2nd GGF, he married Petra Rivera around 1900, in or near Romero Rubio, Mexico City. According to the 1930 US Census, Cayetano and Petra immigrated to the US in 1914, and settled in the Hidalgo County area of Texas.  Prior to these ancestors, there were 5 generations which were settled in the Nuevo Leon, Mexico area. They descended from the first Europeans to show up in our tree, on that side of the family.  Their names were:

• Maria del Refugio Bernal (1862-1950) , Coahuila MX, mother of Petra Rivera
• Maria de los Santos de Anda (1841-1904), Nuevo Leon, MX, mother of Maria Bernal
• Jose Marcus de Anda (1820-1902), Nuevo Leon, MX, father of Maria de los Santos
• Jose Valentin de Anda (1775- ?death), Nuevo Leon, MX, father of Jose Marcus
• Pedro Luis de Anda (1722-1794) Nuevo Leon, MX, father of Jose Valentin

 The next, previous generations were settled in Jalisco, MX.  During this period, Jalisco was in its "Golden Age" of growth for New Spain, centering on the industry of cattle production as the main economic activity.  Many churches and Cathedrals were built, and convents as well. When the time for the War for Mexican Independence came, the Jaliscans were right in the fighting, with the other rebels of the time.

These families are:

• Pedro de Anda Altamirano (1697-??, )Jalisco, MX, father of Pedro Luis (above)
• Lorenzo de Anda Altamiano y Saenz ((1650-1721), Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, MX, father of Pedro de Anda "1697", colonial elite
• Pedro de Anda Gomes de Portugal (1610-??), father of Lorenzo, and born in Mexico.
• Isabel Altamirano Guiterres de Soto y Carbajal (1530-born in Spain, Unk date, died in Mexico). She was one of the first Spaniards to migrate to Mexico. She is the mother of Pedro Gomez
• Joan Lopez de Nava, Duke of Portugal (1536-born Lisbon Portugal, unk date died in Mexico), father of Isabel Carbajal. He is the first Portuguese ancestor to migrate to Mexico.

Spain-Portugal to Mexico (1530)

According to my favorite McSource, Wikipedia, these Spaniards and Portuguese were coming to Mexico to colonize, along with the Conquistadors. There was a lot of gold and other resources to be exploited in this new land, and Portugal was on a huge expansion and seizing campaign all over the world, including West to the Americas and as far east as India. The Kings of Spain and Portugal were behind the expansion, and the colonists went where they were sent, as they were either nobility of these countries or actual royalty from the King's family.  There was also a group of Spanish Jews (Sephardic) who were fleeing the Inquisition, so they converted to Catholicism and volunteered to colonize.

The Spanish and Portuguese were not always nice once they arrived here.  The landing of the Conquistadors is considered to be around 1519 in the Central Mexico region. Between this date and the end of their campaign in the 1800's, they conquered the native peoples (Aztecs, and other civilizations) through invasion, taking of slaves, genocide, and passing along smallpox from the Europeans, effectively decimating the population (between 50-90%) between 1520 and 1576. 

The colonists and conquistadors also became rich, from silver mines, cattle industry, agriculture and improved trade with Europe. They even established a new name for the territory, Nuevo Galicia or New Spain.  They continued to dominate the indigenous people until the War of Independence gave most of the self governance back by the 1860's. There would be many times that power changed hands before that, however.

The Portuguese Period (1357-1521)

The Portuguese branch of the tree lasts about 164 years. There are many royals in this family line, lucky I guess. This is, remember, Willie Hernandez and Petra Gonzalez, family lineage. Those siblings of Petra and Willie will have some of the same ancestry, but not all. I will eventually get to everyone. Volunteers will be energetically accepted!

Starting with the father of Joan, Duke of Portugal , the ancestors are:

• Luis Avis Juan Gomez III, Duke of Portugal (1506-1555)
• Manuel I, King of Portugal (1469-2532), father of Luis
• Ferdinand Visieu, Duke of Portugal (1433-1470), father of Manuel I
• Duarte I, King of Portugal (1391-1438), father of Ferdinand
• Joao I, King of Portugal and Algarves (1357-1433), father of Duarte I

At this point, we hit another brick wall, and Joao is my 16th Great Grandfather on that branch.

The next Chapter will be: England and France, What What?