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| AncestryDNA, sample ethnicity map. 31 Aug 2023. |
Ancestry is in the process of rolling out updates to its AncestryDNA section, publishing a refreshed look to the ethnicity map ahead of a likely wider-scale update in September 2023. They have switched from a dark background map (see examples from earlier this month here) to a light-background map and softer colors.
One aunt's view now looks like this:
We are very curious to see if ethnicity estimates also change in the upcoming 2023 update.
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| Google Streetview. Hermosillo. June 2018. |
As mentioned in yesterday's post, I found the address for the family home of Gregorio Diaz in the request in December 1924 for recording his birth registration from 1874 in the civil registration. The address is also listed in the recording of his marriage to Tomasa Arvayo on 1 May 1911 (which had previously occurred on 17 December 1897). Both Gregorio and Tomasa were living at Calle Oposura 30 in Hermosillo, which can still be seen today on the Google Streetview image above. The area is just north of Villa de Seris, across the Rio Sonora, not far from the City Courthouse and Cathedral Hermosillo Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.
The neighboring orange house, seen with fading and peeling paint in the 2018 streetview photo, was a more vibrant orange in 2009. This is Oposura 26, and in 1911 it was the home of Gregorio's mother, my 3rd-great-grandmother, Dolores Quijada.
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| Google Streetview. 2009. |
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| Source: Ancestry. Mexico, Civil Registration. 1911. |
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| Source: Google Streetview. Hermosillo, June 2018. |
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| Source: Google Maps. Villa de Seris, Hermosillo, Sonora. |
My Diaz ancestors lived in Villa de Seris, a neighborhood of Hermosillo, capital of Sonora, Mexico. When I last looked at the family in 2014, I may have overlooked some of the details about the area where they lived. In February 2023, Villa de Seris was named as a Barrio Magico, a special designation of the Federal Tourism agency.
According to articles reporting on the special designation, Villa de Seris was founded in 1742 as a colonial settlement.
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| Archivo Histórico de la Arquidócesis de Hermosillo, 1951. |
The area is now known for its quaint streets and unique gastronomy. Using Google Maps and references to family homes in marriage records, I have been able to pinpoint where the Diaz family lived in Hermosillo during the early 20th century. More on that in the next post.
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| Source: Ancestry. Mexico, Marriages. Hermosillo, Sonora, 1897. |
I previously wrote about Gregorio Diaz, brother of my 2nd-great-grandmother, Teresa Diaz, back in 2014. A new-to-me record is above, showing the marriage record for Gregorio to first wife Tomasa Arvayo, in Hermosillo, Sonora on 17 December 1897.
In December 2021, I wrote to the National Archives in Kansas City, requesting a copy of the Alien Case for Gregorio, but they were unable to process the request due to COVID. Over the weekend I sent a follow-up note to again request a copy of the file, and this time received a reply. Hopefully they'll send me a digital version within the next week. I also found a reference to a case file for Gregorio's sister, Maria Diaz, so maybe I'll receive both files soon.
On 26 December 1924, Gregorio requested a copy of his birth registration be noted with the Civil Registration authorities in Hermosillo. This helpful record provides another confirmation on his birth and information on his parents.
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| Source: FamilySearch. Mexico Civil Registration. 1924. |
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| AncestryDNA Updated Ethnicity Estimate, Aug 2023. |
Ancestry has added some new DNA Communities, providing a more granular view on Mexican communities. I now have three new sub-communities under my Indigenous Americas-Mexico percentage for Sonora and Southern Arizona, as they've divided the area into Northern Sinaloa to Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora & Southern Arizona.
My Aunt Linda's view shows more new sub-communities, including Central Sonora & Southeastern Arizona, Sonora & South-Central Arizona.
I am hoping these additions are a sign of other new features for AncestryDNA coming later this summer.
