Finding out what it means to be Boricua through a genetic & genealogical journey through my family history
Broken Chains – Free at last! [Google Images] The 26th of August marked 174 years of freedom for my 5th great grandfather, Chaleau Jean Charles. He was lucky to receive emancipation 6 years prior to all French slaves being freed on the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. There is still much to learn about this family, …
This is just a quick post looking at genealogy through another aspect — linguistic heritage. When I learn about ancestors, I always try to learn different aspects of their lives, and for me that includes even the languages they speak. Luckily, most of my ancestors spoke Spanish (in some form or another) and is the …
[Google] A few months back while I was still in Madrid studying abroad, I received a message from another 23andme member wondering if I needed any help searching for my ancestors in Martinique. As you might already know, offering your help to others is known as a RAOK or Random Act Of Kindness, and in …
Yay for writing a new post (and on time!) Today I want to focus on my 3rd great grandmother who I’ve mentioned multiple times throughout my blog but I wanted to dedicate a section of the 52 Ancestors challenge to her. My 3rd great grandmother on my maternal side was María Paulina Gustavo Lotten, and …
52 Ancestors – #41 María Paulina Gustavo Lotten (1867-1948) Read More »
I bumped into this topic from the Geneabloggers emails which posts prompts (amongst other links) from a blog by Anglers Rest. Pretty much the prompts are created for you to fill out, that way you are building up some genealogical information about yourself as well! I think it’s a great idea, especially since we focus so …
Emigration/ Migration / Immigration (Book of Me — Prompt 43) Read More »
Happy 10 Year Anniversary! Who would have thought that 10 years would have flown by this fast!? It feels like just yesterday I began talking to my relatives, asking them about my ancestors, and typing names into Ancestry.com to begin my search. I have definitely come a long way since then! Equally, this also marks the …
April 25, 2014 [DNAart] I know I am a day behind with this post but I still wanted to publish it! DNA has truly changed the way I view myself, my culture, my history, and my view on the world. I wanted to share a bit why taking a DNA test was important to me. …
I know I have talked plenty about this ancestress but I love talking about her and she definitely deserves a spot in my 52 Ancestors Challenge! This ancestor is my 4th great grandmother, Julienne Malvina Lautin- a woman who was born a slave, later freed, and immigrated to another country with another culture and language. …
52 Ancestors – #14 Julienne Malvina Lautin (1844-1897) Read More »
When fellow French Guadeloupean genealogist David Quénéhervé began his email with “Hi, I think that I’ve found something in Basse-Terre“, I knew that I was going to be delivered some new information pertaining to my ancestors. David has helped me numerous times from finding and using the BNMP, to understanding documents and life in Martinique …
A New Piece to the Puzzle! The Jean Charles Gustave Mystery Continues… Read More »
There’s a pair of 4rd great grandparents that have been the topic of a few of these posts and the point of some of my frustrations with searching for their information. They are Juan Carlos Gustavo and Julia/Balbina Lotten (and all their many alternations/alter-egos included) who according to documents immigrated from either Guadeloupe or Martinique …