Humans have an innate desire to know their roots. The all-encompassing term used for the study of family, family histories, and the tracing of lineages is known as genealogy. Although genealogy has different meanings for different people, specific common triggers compel people to dig deeper and learn more about their ancestors. With the advent of DNA testing, it has become easier than ever to trace genetic material, resulting in more accurate genealogies and less guesswork involved. Although many people's recent family history and ancestry look static, it is when you go way back in the past that your true lineage reveals itself in full glory. The 19th and 20th centuries are the eras of mass exodus, migrations, and cultural intermingling, owing to the availability of transportation, revolutionary global events, wars, and more. However, it is noteworthy to mention that navigating the ancestry back to specific regions, such as Western Europe, is much easier than that of others, like Spain or Portugal. If you are keen on researching your ancestry from Portugal and Spain, some tips and tricks might help. WHY IS GENEALOGY IMPORTANT? Before diving into the tips and tricks for investigating your ancestry, let us look at what makes genealogy so crucial. To begin with, genealogy is essential for any individual or family because it provides a way to connect to the past while still building a future. Furthermore, it gives people a sense of where they come from while also creating a sense of pride. Some of the practical triggers why people search for their ancestors and opt for the services of professional genealogists are – • Validating Family Stories – Tracing family history helps individuals or groups determine if the stories about their ancestors are true. • Trace Medical Conditions – A pertinent reason genealogy has become so important in the 21st century is to assess the risk of getting certain medical conditions that run in the bloodline. • Historical Event – For some people, genealogy is a way better to grasp an ancestor's involvement in famous historical events. • Trace Family Inheritance - A practical reason to gauge the family tree is looking for genealogical proof of a family link for potential heirs. • Trace Land Ownership – Geneology also becomes important to settle questions of land ownership. • Find Birth Parents – Genealogical investigation also becomes crucial when an adopted child wants to determine their birth parents and find children given up for adoption. • Community History – Documenting a community's history requires delving into the families that founded, shaped, and influenced the community. • Religious Tenet – Lastly, some religious dictums mandate their followers know about their roots and ancestry. For instance, the Mormon Chruch or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires its preachers to know their lineage. Now that we know why genealogy is so relevant let us look at some tricks and tips that can help you find your ancestors from Portugal or Spain. TEN TIPS AND TRICKS TO TRACE ANCESTRY FROM PORTUGAL AND SPAIN 1. Begin at Home Look around; you might be sitting on a treasure trove of family history. The first step in any kind of genealogical research is to begin with what you know about yourself and then your immediate ancestors. Then, scour through your house, and ask your relatives for birth, death, marriage certificates, old photographs, immigration documents, and so forth. Interview and question every living relative that you can find. In addition, examine the family stories you had heard while growing up, as information passed down from one generation to another can give your research some direction. Finally, as you continue collecting information, ensure to organize them into documents or opt for a genealogy software package. 2. Move Backwards in Time The key to good genealogical research is to start with the most recent member of your family, which will be you and your family. Then, you can meticulously document each generation as you work in reverse chronological order, one ancestor at a time. Following this method can help you avoid jumping to conclusions about your ancestry or drawing hasty conclusions about your ancestors' backgrounds. For instance, you might have an unquenchable urge to be related to your favorite famous person, but you cannot start with that famous individual and work your way down the family tree. 3. Know Your History Understanding the local history of the regions where your ancestors resided is an excellent way to speed up your genealogical research. For example, common immigration and migration patterns may provide indications of your ancestor's country or origin. Likewise, knowing your local history can geography will help you determine where to look for records of your ancestors. For instance, if you are looking for an ancestor for Portugal, then it is imperative to know about the hometown because Portuguese demographic records are kept at the local level. Likewise, if you cannot find a record that names your ancestor's hometown in Portugal or Spain, look into their next closest relative that left the country and see if you can find any information about the birthplace. 4. Ask for Help Tracing family history is no easy feat. It would help if you did not hesitate to ask for help and assistance from family members and other professional genealogists. You can even take recourse to social media and use platforms such as Facebook to connect to distant relatives. You might be surprised to know that even the most distant relative might have a cue on your family history from Portugal or Spain. Lastly, consider hiring a professional if you have hit a dead end. 5. Study Social History Your Hispanic or Portuguese ancestor's birth and death dates are the time of the iceberg of your genealogical investigation. However, they may provide a wealth of contextual information. A birth and death date means you know your ancestor's life span, which offers an opportunity to understand their life and times. What dangers did your ancestors face? What socio-economic, religious, or political forces impacted their decisions to migrate? How did they live their lives compared to others? Answers to such questions can help you better connect with the generations before you. Some sources that might help understand social history include city directories, scholarly texts, county histories, well-researched fiction, newspapers, and likewise. 6. Investigate Your Ancestor's Networks Remember that your ancestor in Spain or Portuguese was part of a wider community, and researching their friends, neighbors, extended family members, and even co-workers can lead to information about your ancestor. 7. Understand the Available Records After you have gathered information about your ancestor's name, birth and death, place of birth, community history, and extended network, it is time to determine what record sets are available to meet your research goals. Some resources, which may seem somewhat frivolous, can lead you to a Pandora's Box of information. Some of the common record types you may encounter in your Hispanic/Spanish genealogical searches are – • Parish Registers • Civil Registers • Censuses • Ensenada Census • Marriage Petitions • Cemetery Records • Inquisition Records • Immigration Records Likewise, some of the common record types you may encounter in your Portuguese genealogical searches are – • Parish Registers • Civil Registration Records • Online repositories in Portugal, such as tombo.pt, Azores GenWeb, and more 8. Examine the Sources Not all resources are created equal. When and how the record was created can dramatically affect its dependability. The thumb rule is that the records created by people closer to an event (both in time and relationship) are more reliable than those that were not. For instance, death certificates or tombstones were created shortly after a person's demise and required a witness. Thus, both of these are very reliable sources. 9. Watch for Data Errors and Impossibilities As you work, ensure that the data you find makes sense. Simple analogies, such as whether parents were born before their children, or were the mothers alive when their children were born, can help determine the legitimacy of the information. Highlight any data that may seem uncanny or does not align with your overall investigation. Lastly, use your knowledge of social history to understand if your ancestor's actions made sense, given his age and the time period and place he lived in. 10. Use Citations for all your Facts Lastly, when you embark on your genealogical quest, remember that citations are your friends. For instance, it is common to see people being so engrossed in finding out new information that they do not cite their work properly. Later, when they go back to check some work, it is difficult to remember where they got the information from. Make sure that source citations contain the information given below – • Type of record • Place • Date of event • Name/s of individual/s • Reference • Where the record was accessed • Date the record was accessed WRAPPING IT UP Thanks to technology, advancement in DNA sciences, and the presence of qualified and professional genealogists, searching for an ancestor from Spain or Portugal has become easy. In addition, by following the aforementioned tricks and tips, your search to find an ancestor will become easier.