20 Years as a Published Author

March 2012 marks 20 years for me as a published author, and it all started with the publication of my comprehensive genealogical account of the Esquibel family of New Mexico in the March 1992 issue of “The New Mexico Genealogist.” Andrés Segura, who was then the editor of “The New Mexico Genealogist,” accepted the first article in my series on the Esquibel family genealogy, which after two decades is still the standard reference for anyone researching an Esquibel line of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Francisco Sisneros expanded the Esquibel family research with his compilation and publication of the “Esquibel Families of the Rio Abajo” (See ‘Herencia,” Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 1995), and I added more with the “Esquibel Families of Nineteenth-Century New Mexico” (“Herencia,” Vol. 2, Issue 4, October 1994) and “The Ancestry of Buenaventura de Esquibel, ca. 1570-1684 (“Herencia,” Vol. 4, Issue 2, April 1996; and “Herencia,” Vol. 4, Issue 3, July 1996).

It’s been a rewarding journey of discovery, uncovering numerous archival records and contributing to a greater understanding of the genealogy and history of Hispano families with deep roots in New Mexico. My passion for genealogical and historical research led me to sharing my findings in a variety of print forms, which now includes four co-authored books, contributions to five anthologies, and 145 published articles and counting.

My interest in my family genealogy was sparked by information in the wedding book of my parents, which contains the names of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. I remember reading those names when I was a child. When I reached my mid-twenties I became intrigued by the family names and wanted to learn more about my immediate antecedents and trace their family lines.

I began my genealogical research in 1985, already with family names back to my second great-grandparents. Before I consulted any records I read the relevant sections of “The Handybook of Genealogists.” I gathered what information I could obtain from immediate family members, resulting in an early and big breakthrough on my mother’s side of the family due to some legal papers of my maternal grandfather that named him as an heir of José Vásquez Borrego, an eighteenth century land baron of what is today south Texas.

My father’s family is from New Mexico with roots in Las Vegas, the Mora Valley, Taos, Santa Bárbara-Peñasco, Embudo, Abiquiu, La Canoa (modern-day area of Velarde), Santa Cruz de la Cañada, Bernalillo, and of course Santa Fe. Family names on my father’s side include: Andrada, Ebel, Ruiz, Velásquez, Mestas, López, Martínez (Martín Serrano), Gurulé, Borrego (Vásquez Borrego), Varela, Quintana, Romero, Bustos, Alire, Solano, Armenta, Gallegos, Baca, Trujillo, and González, among many others.

My mother’s family is from Laredo and Benavides, Texas, with deep roots in Laredo and the northeastern states of Mexico (Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, and Coahuila) and communities such as Mier, Revilla, Marín, Sabinas Hidalgo, Cadereyta,Monterrey, and Saltillo. This side of the family has a long history of cattle ranching extending from the 1850s back to the late 1500s. Some of the surnames on this side of the family include: Canales, Dovalina, Vidaurre, Vásquez Borrego, Sánchez de la Barrera, de la Garza. Treviño, Hinojosa, Montemayor, Villarreal, Longoria, González Hidalgo, González de Ochoa, de las Casas, and Zaldívar.

I combined my study of genealogy with the reading of history of New Mexico, south Texas, and northeastern Mexico. My studies included books written in English and Spanish. I consulted microfilm of various primary records, mainly church records of sacraments and extracted a large amount of information on the genealogy both sides of my family

As I uncovered my family roots, looking at all possible lineages, not just by direct paternal line, and went further back in time with each proceeding generation, it didn’t take long to realize that “my” ancestors were ancestors of many other people as well. I decided to share my findings, and made the extra effort to provide source citations.

Fray Angélico Chávez’s “Origins of New Mexico Families” continues to be pivotal in my research, serving as a springboard for expanding on his genealogical compilations. Two other important influences were Rudolfo “Rudy” Anaya, under who I studied creative writing for several years at the University of New Mexico, and Sabine Ulibarrí, professor of Spanish literature. Both are well-respected authors. Although I original intended to write fiction, my interest in genealogy and history led me into non-fiction.

The field of genealogy is still impaired by a lack of credibility because so much information is shared and published without sources. I made a conscious effort to help raise the level of credibility of genealogy research by consulting primary records and being meticulous with regard to source citations.

I’ve also combined history and genealogy in my writings in order to give context to both. Genealogy is much richer when we understand the historical context in which our ancestors lived and shaped their society. History is enhanced by understanding social and familial relationships of the people who influenced the events of their times.

Over the course of the past twenty years, I’ve uncovered and published new historical and genealogical information on probably over 100 Hispano families of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. I currently have a backlog of material, including unpublished essays and two books in the works, as well as several articles.

I’ve also had the privilege and honor to collaborate with some of the most prominent southwest genealogists, historians, art historians, archeologists, professors, artists, and authors. I look forward to what the future brings and hope to continue making contributions to the history of New Mexico and northeastern Mexico and the genealogy of the families of those regions.

Check in on this blog site every so often to stay informed about upcoming works.