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Steve G. Apodaca wrote:
Perhaps, the best I may recommend is taking an interpreter, maybe a
relative or a friend who speaks spanish, with you. Something that I
want to add about the phone calls, well, I don't know if this applies
to all ranchos in Jalisco, but I believe that in some small pueblos
people may be suspicious about giving information to a stranger on
the phone. Joseph, can you tell us if you have had people reluctant
or even hostile while asking for their ancestors' info?
Yes to both. Some are reluctant and some have been hostile, but those
are the minority in my experience. Maybe it has to do with my approach
or I don't know but most have been friendly. I can't judge whats in
their heart and as the majority I've spoken with have turned out not to
be relatives as far as I can determine it might mean that their refusal
to investigate in depth is truely a reaction as you've described. But
as has been mentioned in another message you need to really give a lot
of information about myself and my grandparents and their Rancho and
about my genealogy research and about my enthusiasm and hope that
giving and saying enough about this will somewhat disarm the initial
suspicious response. It also really helps when they do mention a Rancho
near by to where your Ranchos is located and be able to ID that some of
your surnamed relatives also came from there. I guess just being as
knowledgable as possibe about the immediate geography of your area in
Mexico helps when interviewing.
Yes I would agree that going door to door is very very much better to
on the phone, but people die everyday and by the time I ever get around
to going door to door many will have passed. The phone is the next best
approach for my situation.
The idea of
calling people is acceptable, but I would rather go to the pueblo and
talk to the posible primos in person. Well that is my opinion based
on my own experience. I grew up in Zacoalco and noticed that
Jaliscienses (or jalisquillos as we are sometimes called), are at
first a little bit suspicious of foreigners but as we get to know
them, we are friendly to everyone.
I can't say that I know this with confidence but it seems that being
suspicious of strangers is something many cultures are taught. I get a
hostile reaction to a minority of my calls in the US as well.
Some americans and italians living
in the area visit my parents' restaurant every once in a while and
even though my dad does not speak any english or italian, he always
tries to be the best host he can be.
Steve
--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, craigtwatson@a... wrote:
What can be done about those that don't speak the language? I am
such a
person. It will be difficult to research the family by making
calls etc. Even
if I visited the parish where my greatgrandfather attended, I
wouldn't be
able to ask to see burial records, grave records, christenings'
etc.
Irene Garrett Watson
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