| What are the leading five challenges that prevent | | | | The information is not on the Internet including |
| people from finding someone in Mexico or starting | | | | free family genealogy web sites. If you did an |
| their Mexican family genealogy research? The | | | | Internet search for Mexico, you would receive a |
| most common challenge that I have come across | | | | lot of results, but a closer look at the results |
| in my research is frustration. People may feel as | | | | reveals that most of them have to do with New |
| though there may be no hope in finding the | | | | Mexico or Mexico, Missouri. The results you get |
| person they are looking for. | | | | from these online searches are almost always |
| Maybe they are frustrated because they don't | | | | about people living in the United States and are |
| know or speak the Spanish language. This can be | | | | not focused on the Country of Mexico which is |
| especially upsetting for people who are doing their | | | | where you want to get information. |
| Mexican family genealogy and researching to find | | | | Marie Daly, director of the Research Library at |
| a mother or father living in Mexico. | | | | the New England Historic Genealogical Society |
| Some of our clients have said their biggest | | | | gave this comment about family genealogy |
| problem is they do not speak Spanish or have | | | | research on the Internet, "I'd say perhaps only 10 |
| never been to Mexico and have no idea where to | | | | percent of the genealogical information out there |
| start looking. Some tell us they have names and | | | | is on the Web. But when people do genealogy |
| some information, but have not had any luck at all | | | | research, they think that's 100 percent, and they |
| finding anybody. They may be ready to stop their | | | | make a big error that way. Not everything is on |
| Mexico family genealogy research because they | | | | the Web. And some of the things that are on the |
| feel overwhelmed, confused or even depressed. | | | | Web are erroneous." - How to be a Self-Sufficient |
| They are possibly frustrated because they may | | | | Researcher by Margaret Moen |
| have spent hours on the Internet and have come | | | | Even though you may spend a lot of time looking |
| up with nothing. | | | | for this information and have visited some of the |
| Let's talk about that for a minute. There's a good | | | | family genealogy research web sites, it may be in |
| reason why a person doing family genealogy | | | | the wrong direction. So rest your fingers for a |
| research for someone in Mexico has not found | | | | minute if you have already spent an hour or |
| any information. Let's start with the Internet. For | | | | more looking on the Internet. Why would I say |
| most people, the Internet is an easy way to find | | | | this? Because most people have used up their |
| people. Let's face it, if you are trying to find | | | | own ideas of where and how to search online |
| someone in the United States, all you need to do | | | | after an hour. There is a science to searching |
| is put in their name, city, state, and maybe their | | | | online. After an hour most people have used up all |
| zip code. | | | | of their resources and ideas of how to look for |
| There are many online search engines such as | | | | information. After that a lot of people are just |
| Google, Yahoo, or the Internet White Pages. If a | | | | spending time surfing the net, bouncing from site |
| person has done something that got them listed | | | | to site, looking and hoping for some new |
| on the Internet such as: owning a web site; have | | | | information. |
| published articles; been in a newspaper; or even | | | | People may feel that if they keep searching, they |
| just have a residential listing that is online, they | | | | will find that one family genealogy research web |
| can easily be found through an online search just | | | | site that has the information they are looking for. |
| by plugging their information into a search engine. | | | | There is no one magic web site that will give you |
| There is a lot of personal information on people | | | | a simple answer to locate someone living in |
| living in the United States and there are several | | | | Mexico. It is just not out there and this includes |
| ways to search for them and it is very easy to | | | | free family genealogy sites. |
| find them--if they are living in the United States. | | | | If you are frustrated because you have spent a |
| So naturally, when most people think about finding | | | | lot of time looking for someone, have tried free |
| someone in Mexico, whether or not they are | | | | family genealogy web sites and nothing you have |
| doing family genealogy research, they turn to the | | | | done has worked, you are finally in the right place. |
| Internet. However, the problem with trying to find | | | | In the next few articles, I am going to share with |
| someone in Mexico by using the Internet is that | | | | you information on what to do and how to do it. |
| very little of the information on individuals who are | | | | So don't give up. |
| living in Mexico is digitized. Herein lays the problem. | | | | |