PUERTO RICO GENEALOGY

JOURNEY WITH US.

A research guide to ancestry, family history, and genealogy resources for Puerto Rico.

Uncover with Ancestors of Paradise the untold stories of your Puerto Rican ancestors!

”From Anegada to Virgin Gorda, tour the Caribbean in this gorgeous site packed with resources, historical photos and videos…”

101 Best Genealogy Websites of 2024
Family Tree Magazine

records.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through census records, court records, deeds, naturalization records, military records, ship passenger lists as well as birth, marriage, and death records.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • Archivo Digital Nacional de Puerto Rico

    Es una iniciativa privada no gubernamental que busca dar acceso a la información relacionada a Puerto Rico localizada en archivos públicos y privados. Nuestra Misión es la democratización y el rápido acceso a la información. Contrario a los archivos tradicionales los cuales tienen el importante objetivo de conservar los fondos que albergan el nuestro se basa en la diseminación de la información a través de plataformas digitales y la web.

  • FAMILYSEARCH RESEARCH WIKI | Puerto Rico

    The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a free, online genealogical guide created and maintained by FamilySearch, a non-profit organization. It contains links to genealogy databases, websites, other resources, research strategies, and genealogical guidance to assist in the search for your ancestors. Articles included are locality pages for countries around the world and topic pages that include pertinent genealogy record types explaining how to use the record, what it contains, and how to find it.

  • Introduction to Puerto Rico Genealogy: New York Public Library Resources

    Your research on genealogía puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican genealogy) may take you to different Divisions and Research Libraries of The New York Public Library, and to collections farther afield. This page offers catalog links and selected resources. Click the images on this page to learn more about NYPL Research Libraries and Divisions that hold materials on Puerto Rico.

  • Portal de Archivos Españoles (PARES)

    The Spanish Archives Portal (PARES) is the main platform used to disseminate Spain's Historical Document Heritage, created and managed by the National Archives Department of the Ministry of Culture.

    It contains information sheets and digitised images of the historical documents held in the National Archives. However, given the enormous volume of documents, not all of the documentation held in our archives is currently available on PARES. There is an increasing amount of content available on PARES as archivists continue their work to identify, describe and digitise the documents.

  • Puerto Rican Slave Documents | Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Sixty-seven miscellaneous slave documents listing individual slaves, their physical characteristics, and ownership. Most of the slaves belonged to smaller households in the northeast part of the island, and many were young children.

  • SHIPINDEX.ORG: A VESSEL RESEARCH DATABASE

    ShipIndex.org simplifies vessel research. Whether you’re a genealogist, a maritime historian, a researcher, or just curious, we can help you learn more about the ships that interest you. We tell you which maritime resources, such as books, journals, magazines, newspapers, CD-ROMs, websites, and online databases mention the ships that interest you. We enhance these references by noting which ones include illustrations or crew and passenger lists, and where you can find or purchase the resource.

  • SlaveVoyages

    The SlaveVoyages website is a collaborative digital initiative that compiles and makes publicly accessible records of the largest slave trades in history. Search these records to learn about the broad origins and forced relocations of more than 12 million African people who were sent across the Atlantic in slave ships, and hundreds of thousands more who were trafficked within the Americas. Explore where they were taken, the numerous rebellions that occurred, the horrific loss of life during the voyages, the identities and nationalities of the perpetrators, and much more.

collections.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through our collection of diverse genealogical resources.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • ANCESTRY MESSAGE BOARDS | CARIBBEAN

    Ancestry message boards contain over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards.

  • ANCESTRY MESSAGE BOARDS | Puerto Rico

    Ancestry message boards contain over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards.

  • DIGITAL LIBRARY OF THE CARIBBEAN

    The Digital Library of the Caribbean is a cooperative digital library for resources from and about the Caribbean & circum-Caribbean.

  • THE EARLY CARIBBEAN DIGITAL ARCHIVE

    The Early Caribbean Digital Archive is an open access collection of pre-twentieth-century Caribbean texts, maps, and images. Texts include travel narratives, novels, poetry, natural histories, and diaries that have not been brought together before as a single collection focused on the Caribbean. The materials in the archive are primarily authored and published by Europeans, but the ECDA aims to use digital tools to "remix" the archive and foreground the centrality and creativity of enslaved and free African, Afro-creole, and Indigenous peoples in the Caribbean world.

  • Hijos de Coamo, Puerto Rico

    Puerto Rico Genealogy (Hijos de Coamo, Puerto Rico) contains Catholic Church Records from 1645 through 1969. These Catholic Church records created by parishes in Puerto Rico include baptisms, confirmations, parish censuses, marriages, deaths, and indexes. This website is created for novice and advanced researchers to assist you in locating your ancestors’ records and history. In addition, it includes transcriptions donated by volunteers and personal research of individuals from Puerto Rico.

  • HISTORY HUB | Puerto Rico

    History Hub is a research support community for everyone, including genealogists, historians, and citizen archivists.

  • MYHERITAGE | Puerto Rico ($)

    The Puerto Rico family history research page lists data collections relevant to Puerto Rico.

    Start your search here to find ancestors originating from Puerto Rico and to research historical records pertaining to Puerto Rico.

Ancestry US

Ancestry US

CEMETERIES + MEMORIALS.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through cemetery records, grave records, tombstone inscriptions, and funeral booklets.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • FIND A GRAVE | PUERTO RICO

    Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one's memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world.

HISTORIC NEWSPAPERs.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through our collection of diverse genealogical resources.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • Boletín mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) | Chronicling America

    The Boletín mercantil de Puerto Rico first appeared on March 2, 1839, published as the Boletín Instructivo y mercantil de Puerto Rico, in San Juan. The Puerto Rico scholar Antonio S. Pedreira, in the voluminous El periodismo en Puerto Rico, underlined its importance as “a newspaper of transcendental significance in the history of newspapers in Puerto Rico”. The Boletín mercantil is regarded as one of the most important newspapers, second to the Gaceta, published in Puerto Rico during the last of the four centuries of Spanish domination on the island.

    The Boletín mercantil published articles, news and advertisements regarding technology and inventions. There are plenty of drawings and photographs of technological devices within the industrial context, making this a very important source for the study of the history of technology both within Puerto Rico and worldwide.

  • CHRONICLING AMERICA HISTORIC AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS | Puerto Rico

    Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

  • La correspondencia de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) | Chronicling America

    La Correspondencia de Puerto Rico, a reflection of La Correspondencia de España, was founded by Ramón B. López in San Juan on December 18, 1890. Priced at one cent, it appealed to the general public and quickly became the largest circulating daily newspaper in Puerto Rico with a print run of 5,000 copies a day. Due to its popularity, it was conferred the sarcastic nickname of “El periódico de las cocineras”(the housewife's newspaper). La Correspondencia de Puerto Rico is considered the first daily news report on the island accessible to a wider public.

  • La democracia. (Ponce, P.R.) | Chronicling America

    La Democracia, founded and published by the Puerto Rican poet, journalist and politician Luis Muñoz Rivera, was first published in Ponce in 1890. The newspaper supported Puerto Rico's liberal Autonomist Party, which sought broader rights under the Spanish Crown. La Democracia reported on various political themes, such as internal situations of delegates and the demands of the people. It also maintained communication with other newspapers and included proposals of court deputies, reports of Spanish treaties with other countries, and news of the Cuban revolution. La Democracia opposed the imposition of taxes on sugar and other products, and the prohibition of coffee exports to Cuba; it also published complaints from San Juan merchants and reported on property repossessions. La Democracia supported economic improvements on the island through the creation of the Farmers Association, the Agriculture Bank, and the Santurce Exposition, which promoted the sale of local merchandise.

  • Gazeta de Puerto-Rico | CHRONICLING AMERICA

    La Gaceta offers detailed information about the colonial government in Puerto Rico including reports from the governor, treasury, customs, commerce, internal revenues, postal services, royal decrees, and political appointments. It contains unique and valuable data collected through diverse population censuses held in the island, such as the race censuses from 1876 and 1881. Education was another important topic frequently covered in the newspaper. La Gaceta published a census with the number of public and private schools and teachers by municipalities. By-laws and other official documents were provided including information about students' gender, social and economic level, type of schools, and other statistical data.

  • El Imparcial. (San Juan, P.R.) | Chronicling America

    The self-proclaimed "Diario de la tarde" ("the afternoon daily"), the newspaper El Imparcial (San Juan, Puerto Rico) was one of the main witnesses to Puerto Rican and international history of the 20th century. It began publication on November 1, 1918 and frontpage headlines included the end of the WWI, the actions of the Bolsheviks, their allies and their enemies after the Russian Revolution of 1917, along with the reactions and stances taken by the United States on these international issues. Much of the global news reported came from international services or correspondents. Additionally, El Imparcial offered translations of news content originally generated in English.

  • El Mundo (San Juan, P.R.) | Chronicling America

    El Mundo (San Juan, Puerto Rico) printed its first issue on February 17, 1919. This Spanish-language publication self-identified as the "Diario de la mañana" ("the daily"). In its first years, El Mundo's content primarily focused on providing informaton from the Americas and Europe, frequently including news services from the United States.

    The paper covered Puerto Rican politics, the economy, and daily life in the villages. It also reported information about strikes in the sugarcane and tobacco industries, the 1918 influenza epidemic, and struggles for women's rights. It covered local elections, includign the 1920 elections in Puerto Rico for the positions of Senate, House of Representatives, and mayoralties.

  • El Mundo Digital Archive | Center for Research Libraries

    Founded in 1919, El Mundo was a respected, conservative newspaper from Puerto Rico and was widely considered a key source for news until it ceased in 1990. The paper strived to live up to its slogan "Verdad y Justicia" (Truth and Justice). Key topics covered by the newspaper include industrialization of Puerto Rican society, the Great Depression, territorial relations with the United States including citizenship and activities of independence movements such as the Macheteros and FALN, the rise of the Popular Democratic Party, the Ponce massacre, the Ley de la Mordaza (Gag Law) and more.

HISTORIC IMAGES + FILM.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through early photographs, studio portraits, historic landscape images and film.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • ARCHIVO HISTORICO Y FOTOGRAFICO DE PUERTO RICO

    The collection of Puerto Rico is principally that of, Jose Luis Rodriguez of Cheshire, Ct., originally from Guanica. That collection has taken over 35 years to build and covers all types of collectibles from Puerto Rico. He is married to Aida for 39 years and is a full time antiques dealer specializing in paper antiques, postcards, photos and historical ephemera.

  • Archivo Negro

    ¡Bienvenides a Archivo Negro! La aportación histórica de Movimiento Anansé Inc. para rescatar la memoria visual de nuestra negritud desde las familias, fotógrafes y artistas que se han dedicado a documentar nuestra cultura. Te invitamos a explorar y conectarte con el primer archivo que visibiliza a las personas negras en y desde Puerto Rico. ¡Adelante!

  • CARPENTER COLLECTION | LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

    The Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection consists of photographs produced and gathered by Frank G. Carpenter (1855-1924) and his daughter Frances (1890-1972) to illustrate his writings on travel and world geography. Carpenter's works helped popularize cultural anthropology and geography in the early years of the twentieth century.

  • DEADFRED GENEALOGY PHOTO ARCHIVE

    Trace your roots for FREE with our searchable database containing thousands of identified and mystery photos for genealogy enthusiasts looking for long-lost family. Anyone who finds a photo of a direct ancestor that is owned by the archive will receive the photo for free.

  • EARL LEAF GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION | PUERTO RICO

    Earl Leaf was a well-established photojournalist who settled in LA in the 1940s.

  • FOTOS HISTORICAS DE PUERTO RICO

    Puden publicar toda clase de fotos histricas y videos de Puerto Rico ayer y hoy.

  • Granger Academic | Puerto Rico

    Granger Academic provides access to Granger's vast and vibrant archive of historical pictures. Many of these images are not available anywhere else, and for the first time we have made our collection available free of charge to teachers, librarians and students.

  • HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library | Puerto Rico

    HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library is an archive of images from the Jewish world. Jewish communities in the Caribbean featured include Aruba, Barbados, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Nevis, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. Thomas, and Trinidad.

  • HARRY ALVERSON FRANCK PHOTOGRAPHS | Puerto Rico

    Harry A. Franck (1881-1962) was a University of Michigan graduate (1903), avid traveler, and veteran of both world wars. He wrote thirty-three travel books describing Europe, South and Central America, China, Japan, and many other places. His most popular books include A Vagabond Journey Around the World (1910) and Zone Policeman 88 (1913). His books routinely featured photographs he took during his journeys: landscapes, street scenes, working people with the tools of their trade, portraits, and snapshots.

  • HUNTLEY FILM ARCHIVES | Puerto Rico

    We are a team of dedicated film archivists who aim to help you produce the best archive content for your project.

    Our collections are vast and varied - the sum of over fifty years of service to production and to film archiving. Our footage starts around 1895 and we cover the places and people of the 20th century comprehensively and globally. Our holdings are mostly documentary with the addition of behind the scenes Hollywood, Bollywood and a special collection of pioneer film makers. It is with great pride that our source material is still on celluloid for quality and that filmic texture. Our films are housed in purpose built film vaults and our staff expert in their field.

  • JACK DELANO FSA PHOTO COLLECTION

    Hired by the FSA in 1940 as an itinerant photographer, Jack Delano was assigned in 1941 to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Delano captured moments of daily life on the islands in both black and white and color.

  • Library of Congress Public Domain Image Collections | Puerto Rico

    The Library's first digitization project was called "American Memory." Launched in 1990, it initially planned to choose 160 million objects from its collection to make digitally available on laserdiscs and CDs that would be distributed to schools and libraries. After realizing that this plan would be too expensive and inefficient, and with the rise of the Internet, the Library decided to instead make digitized material available over the Internet. This project was made official in the National Digital Library Program (NDLP), created in October 1994. By 1999, the NDLP had succeeded in digitizing over 5 million objects. The Library has kept the "American Memory" name for its public domain website, which today contains 15 million digital objects, comprising over 7 petabytes.

  • Mary Evans Picture Library

    Mary Evans Picture Library licenses images for use in books, newspapers, exhibitions, websites and all manner of other media. Our images cover a broad range of topics, with the overarching themes of history and film. Our range, however, extends far beyond most people's perception of historical pictures, to include areas such as fashion, design, society and, uniquely, the paranormal.

  • The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs | Puerto Rico

    The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs is a singular collection of more than 3,500 historical images from 34 countries including Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. This visual record contains studio portraits, landscapes and tourist views and brings to life the changing economies, environments and communities that emerged post-emancipation. The Collection includes nearly every photographic format available during the years 1840 to 1940, including prints, postcards, daguerreotypes, lantern slides, albums, and stereographs.

  • New York Public Library STEREOGRAPH COLLECTION | Puerto Rico

    This digital compilation was developed in support of the NYPL website, "The African American Migration Experience," a sweeping 500-year historical narrative from the transatlantic slave trade to the Western migration, the colonization movement, the Great Migration, and the contemporary immigration of Caribbeans, Haitians, and sub-Saharan Africans.

  • Tom Lehman | Puerto Rico, 1940s and 1950s

    My name is Tom Lehman. My parents worked in church service projects in Ethiopia from 1948 to 1950 and in Puerto Rico from 1952-1956 and 1959-1961.

    In late 2005 I bought a slide scanner, scanned the slides my father had taken while in Ethiopia and Puerto Rico to make copies for family members. I posted some of them to Flickr, an Internet photo sharing site. The reaction amazed me.

  • VIVID-PIX

    Easy-to-use software that helps you fix your pics and documents fast! Free to try - no credit card required.

HISTORIC MAPS.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through historic maps.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • David Rumsey Map Collection | Puerto Rico

    The David Rumsey Map Collection was started over 35 years ago and contains more than 200,000 maps. The collection focuses on rare 16th through 21st century maps of North and South America, as well as maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The collection includes atlases, globes, wall maps, school geographies, pocket maps, books of exploration, maritime charts, and a variety of cartographic materials including pocket, wall, children's, and manuscript maps. Items range in date from around 1550 to the present.

  • Historic Map Works | Puerto Rico

    Based in South Portland, ME, Historic Map Works, LLC is an Internet company formed to create a historic digital map database of North America and the world. Drawing on the largest physical collection of American property atlases of its type, it is our aim to be the single best online destination for map enthusiasts and researchers alike.

  • OLD MAPS ONLINE | Puerto Rico

    Our mission is to give old maps a new life in the online world via the Old Maps Online search catalog that allows visitors to explore and discover the beauty of historical maps depicting a past geographical place of their interest.

  • Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection | Puerto Rico Historical Topographic Maps

    The Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) Map Collection website is archived as of 2021 and no longer being updated. Links to external sites may no longer work as expected. Please visit the Texas GeoData portal and Collections portal for map files and the UTL Map Collections LibGuide for additional information.

CULTURAL INSTITUTIONs.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through libraries, museums, historical societies, and community cultural centers dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Caribbean culture.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • Archivo Histórico De Ponce

    El Archivo es el custodio del patrimonio histórico documentado de la Ciudad Señorial, Ponce.

  • Casa de España

    The House of Spain in Puerto Rico is a non-profit institution dedicated to the dissemination and conservation of Spanish culture in Puerto Rico.

  • Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO)

    Founded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. We provide support to students, scholars, artists, and members of the community at large across and beyond New York. We produce original research, films, books, and educational tools and are the home of The Centro Journal—the premiere academic journal of Puerto Rican Studies. Our aim is to create actionable and accessible scholarship to strengthen, broaden, and reimagine the field of Puerto Rican studies.

  • Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana

    Descubierto a principios del siglo XX; este parque nacional figura entre los más importantes yacimientos arqueológicos del Caribe. El parque indígena, consta de diez bateyes rodeados por una variedad de piedras con petroglifos.

  • El Centro de Conservación y Restauración de Puerto Rico (CENCOR)

    The Center for Conservation and Restoration of Puerto Rico (CENCOR) is a non-profit institution that promotes the conservation of cultural heritage and related disciplines through education, research, and inter- and multidisciplinary study. CENCOR is a space where conservation and the study of cultural heritage in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean region converge.

    El Centro de Conservación y Restauración de Puerto Rico (CENCOR) es una institución sin fines de lucro que promueve la conservación del patrimonio cultural y disciplinas afines mediante la educación, la investigación, el estudio inter y multidisciplinario. El CENCOR es un espacio donde convergen la conservación y el estudio del patrimonio cultural en Puerto Rico y la región del Caribe.

  • INDO-CARIBBEAN CULTURAL CENTRE

    Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre (ICC) is a non-profit, independent, educational organization recognized by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. ICC was established in 1999 with its axiom being “Celebrating unity in cultural diversity in the Caribbean.” It is dedicated to publishing two magazines every year – a Divali souvenir magazine, and an Indian Arrival Day commemorative magazine. ICC is primarily committed to the production of information about people, issues and events affecting Hindus and Indians in multi-ethnic Trinidad and the Caribbean.

  • Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña

    The mission of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP) is to investigate, preserve, promote and disseminate Puerto Rican culture in its diversity and complexity. With the memory and promise of culture, the different levels, sectors, ages and interests of the community create the set of ways of life, customs and artistic manifestations that identify us as a country. The ICP exists to preserve and disseminate this knowledge, spread our talent internationally and enrich the love of one's own.

  • Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project (MPCPMP)

    The Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project (MPCPMP) is a non-profit tax-exempt organization established in 2011 to honor the two million captive Africans who perished during the transatlantic crossing known as the Middle Passage and the ten million who survived to build the Americas.

  • Museo del Mar

    Old San Juan is one of the most important ports in American maritime history. Now it has this maritime museum where you can experience firsthand the history of navigation throughout time.

  • Puerto Rico Historic Buildings Drawings Society

    In the Puerto Rico Historic Buildings Drawings Society (PRHBDS) website you can find collections of architectural drawings, photographs and information about more than 1,200 structures and historic sites in Puerto Rico.

  • Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Genealogía

    Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Genealogía has more than three hundred active members in Puerto Rico and abroad that have joined forces to investigate their beloved Borincan roots.

  • Taller Puertorriqueño

    Known as El Corazón Cultural del Barrio, Taller Puertorriqueño is a community-based cultural organization that uses art to promote development within its community and the Latinx Diaspora and build bridges to the Greater Philadelphia region.

PUERTO RICAN DIASPORA.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through our collection of diverse genealogical resources.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • CENTER FOR PUERTO RICAN STUDIES AT HUNTER COLLEGE (CENTRO)

    Founded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. We provide support to students, scholars, artists, and members of the community at large across and beyond New York. We produce original research, films, books, and educational tools and are the home of The Centro Journal—the premiere academic journal of Puerto Rican Studies. Our aim is to create actionable and accessible scholarship to strengthen, broaden, and reimagine the field of Puerto Rican studies.

  • DominiRicanDH

    The title of our project, DominiRican, pays homage to the shared diasporic experiences of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and people of both Dominican and Puerto Rican descent. It engages the cultural productions and intellectual processes that emerge from these shared identities and experiences in the United States. This project is dedicated to mapping literary and cultural productions that emerge out of the coexistence of Dominican and Puerto Rican diaspora communities in the U.S.. Mapping takes on a dual mfeaning here as we are tracing the origins and movement - across the Caribbean Sea between DR and PR - and through the Atlantic Ocean as Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and DominiRicans travel and migrate to the United States and also participate in back and forth movements throughout these places that contribute to transcultural changes, community building, intellectual exchanges in scholarship and literature, and identity formations expressed through literature, food, music, dance, art, and visual culture. Furthermore, we digitally map the locations of DominiRican communities, spaces of visual art or of historical relevance, institutions, and of relevant people (birth places/cemeteries/memorials) to illustrate how ideas and practices have moved beyond borders and share this story.

  • The Hispanic Genealogical Society Of New York

    The Hispanic Genealogical Society Of New York is a non-profit public service and educational organization, headquartered in New York City, where our volunteer staff organizes meetings, plan projects, provide instructional forums and host seminars.

    The society is still working towards establishing a library and research center in the borough of Manhattan, where their extensive collection of reference publications and research materials will be housed.

  • The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture

    The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (NMPRAC) is devoted to the promotion, integration and advancement of Puerto Rican arts and culture, presenting exhibitions and programming created to enhance the visibility and importance of the rich Puerto Rican arts tradition.

    Located in Humboldt Park, in the heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (NMPRAC) is the only self-standing museum in the nation devoted to showcasing Puerto Rican arts and cultural exhibitions year-round.

  • The Puerto Rican Cultural Center

    For decades, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) had hoped to preserve and archive its history and that of Puerto Rican Chicago. In 2022, the PRCC launched “Digitizing the Barrio” to realize this dream. Led by sociologist Michael Rodríguez-Muñiz, historian Margaret Power, and archivist Angelica Hernández, and supported by Community Informatics Specialist Ann Peterson Kemp and community activist Luis Alejandro Molina, this project is currently cataloging and digitizing photographs, posters, flyers, correspondence, and other records about the PRCC and the broader community. This work is especially vital as gentrification and displacement threaten the community’s future. Inspired by the movement to build community archives, Digitizing the Barrio is laying the foundation for the creation, collection, and communication of local histories and struggles. It has received a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from the Mellon Foundation.

  • TALLER PUERTORRIQUEÑO

    Known as El Corazón Cultural del Barrio, Taller Puertorriqueño is a community-based cultural organization that uses art to promote development within its community and the Latinx Diaspora and build bridges to the Greater Philadelphia region.

BOOKs.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through our collection of books for beginners, research guides, records guides, case studies, memoirs, family histories, oral histories, and photography collections.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

BLOGs.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through history, culture, and genealogy blogs.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • Babilonia Family History

    History and Genealogy of the Babilonia Family of Moca, Puerto Rico and associated lineages.

  • BORICUAGENES

    Finding out what it means to be Boricua through a genetic and genealogical journey through my family history.

  • CABAN TALES & GENEALOGY

    A genealogy blog sharing stories and pictures of the Cabán family.

  • Familias de Fajardo

    Ancestors of Dr. José Fernando PASCUAL y BARALT

  • LATINO GENEALOGY & BEYOND

    Join Ellen Fernandez-Sacco as she researches ancestors and discusses genealogy research with a Caribbean focus.

  • PUERTO RICAN GENEALOGY

    A platform to jump off from into your journey of family history that passed through Puerto Rico.

  • Radiant Roots, Boricua Branches

    Teresa Vega shares musings on her tri-racial roots in the United States, Puerto Rico and Madagascar.

  • Untangling My Roots

    Join Marian Giannatti as she journeys to untangle her family roots in Puerto Rico.

  • y la Familia

    y la Familia website was launched on August 1, 2002 and is dedicated to the descendants of Florencio Rivera Maldonado with the goal of connecting family and friends worldwide, promoting and building family tradition, and providing a platform for sharing family news and history.

PODCASTs.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through on-topic podcast episodes and series.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • An Adoptee's Journey to Find Biological Roots in Puerto Rico | Expert Genealogy Tips with Legacy Tree Genealogists

    Finding biological parents is one of the most challenging, and rewards projects we get to work on at Legacy Tree Genealogists. 

    In this week's episode, we hear from a Legacy Tree client as she shares her story about searching for her family in Puerto Rico. 

    Listen in to see how her story took a few turns along to way but ended with her fully discovering her past. 

  • Bound to History: Leoncia Lasalle's Slave Narrative with Ellen Fernandez-Sacco | Research at the National Archives and Beyond

    Dr. Fernandez-Sacco's recent article is about interviews, enslavement, testimony, and the communities involved in a 1945 interview by the historian Luis Diaz Soler with Leoncia Lassalle then 112 years old, and her 85-year old daughter, Juana Rodriguez Lasalle's experiences under bondage. Fernandez-Sacco offers a context for the account, traces their family history, considers the multiple contexts for this narrative, the limits on archives, and how historical knowledge is made as we do genealogy that engages slavery & life post-emancipation.

  • ISLAND ARCHIVES

    The Island Archives Podcast is an audio series created to honor the Caribbean heroes/sheroes of the past and present and highlight their immeasurable contributions in different areas/disciplines. We feature their achievements by retelling their stories in an interesting, engaging, and insightful way by blending humor, history and highlights.

  • Rematriating the Ancestors | Rematriating Boriken Podcast

    “Rematriating the Ancestors” welcomes our first guest to the Rematriating Borikén Podcast, Melanie Maldonado Díaz of PROPA, Puerto Rican Organization for the Performing Arts. Melanie traces her personal journey towards her cultural, genealogy and ancestral work. We discuss how she arrived at her powerful project Africa Habla en Mi, connecting our ancestors to the continent of Africa, to her recent collaboration with the Middle Passage Ceremonies/ Port Markers Project.

SOCIAL MEDIA.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through social media discussion forums, networks, groups, and pages.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • Asociación de Corsos de Puerto Rico | Facebook

    La Asociación de Corsos de Puerto Rico fue fundada en el 1984 por un grupo de descendientes de los corsos que habían llegado a la isla. Ha estado activa por más de 30 años y es nuestro deseo dar a conocer la historia de nuestros antepasados y mantener vivos los lazos que unen las islas de Córcega y Puerto Rico.

  • CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY | FACEBOOK

    This group is for sharing resources and assisting with research relating to Caribbean ancestry and history.

  • CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY RESEARCH COMMUNITY | FACEBOOK

    Welcome to the Caribbean Research Community! This group was created to give people researching the region a place to ask questions, collaborate, and share research with one another.

  • THE CUTLASS MAGAZINE

    A progressive podcast and platform dedicated to the Indo-Caribbean community and other descendants of Indian indentureship from around the world.

  • Familias de Cabo Rojo | FACEBOOK

    Solo hablar y comentar sobre las Familias y sus descendientes o ascendientes. Cada Miembro deberá aportar o sea fotos, documentos relacionados a la familia o a Cabo Rojo o personajes de nuestro pueblo.

  • GENEALOGICAL TRANSLATIONS | FACEBOOK

    Genealogical Translations was established to provide amateur family researchers a place to have their genealogical documents translated. We are a global volunteer group whose members help other members by offering free translation of their genealogical documents such as vital records, postcards, obituaries, and more, in languages including – Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and many others!

  • Genealogias de las Familias Ramirez de Arellano en Puerto Rico | Facebook

    Our mission is to learn about and preserve the heritage, history and genealogy of the Ramirez de Arellano families and their descendants.

    The purpose of this group is to bring together the descendants of the Ramirez de Arellano family… preserving the PAST by acquiring, sharing, and compiling family records of our ancestors. We are serving the PRESENT by sharing all of this information with each other. We are also promoting the FUTURE by indexing all of this information for our future generations.

  • Investigaciones Genealógicas de Familias de PUERTO RICO | Facebook

  • Puerto Rican Genealogy | Facebook

    The Puerto Rican Genealogy group was created for all researchers of their Puerto Rican Heritage to collaborate on finding and translating records as well as research strategies.

  • Puerto Rican Organization for the Performing Arts (PROPA) | FACEBOOK

    PROPA was conceptualized in 2003 to create new opportunities to experience Puerto Rican performance as an instrument of learning. Since then, PROPA has produced and participated in numerous events throughout the United States. The signature project of PROPA is the biennial Bomba Research Conference (every odd year.)

  • Puerto Rican Studies Information Network | Facebook

    A network of scholars, students and friends dedicated to sharing research and teaching resources for the study of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican diaspora.

GENEALOGY VIDEOS + TUTORIALS.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through tutorials, lectures, roundtable discussions, and genealogy webinars.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • Getting Started with Puerto Rican Genealogy

    Throughout this presentation you will learn how to use your personal family stories in conjunction with records from both the United States and Puerto Rico to begin building your family tree. The presenter will use personal stories, photos, and family documents to walk you through this process and teach you tips and tricks to unlocking your Puerto Rican genealogy.

  • INTRODUCTION TO AFRO-CARIBBEAN GENEALOGY RESOURCES WITH SHARON WILKINS

    Learn how to trace your Afro-Caribbean ancestors from the West Indies, including Barbados, Jamaica, and other places. Presented by Sharon Wilkins, President of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society - New York.

  • Caribbean Indigenous Peoples: An Introduction to Taíno Culture | Holyoke Public Library

    Roberto "Múkaro" Borrero is a Taíno community leader, an accomplished musician, and artist, as well as an internationally respected advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. He is currently the President of the United Confederation of Taíno People and, on behalf of the International Indian Treaty Council, he is a co-convener for the Indigenous Peoples Major Group on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. Borrero will present a lecture on Taíno history and culture, which will span from before the arrival of Columbus to contemporary affirmations of Taíno heritage. The Taíno were the first Indigenous Peoples of the Western Hemisphere to be called "Indians".

  • Researching Female Ancestors of the Caribbean | FamilySearch

    In this video, Researching Female Ancestors of the Caribbean, Sharon Tomlin delves into ways we can research African-Caribbean female ancestry. Encouraging dialogue across the generations to understand the pioneers of the past and to discover the pioneers within their own family.

    This presentation was part of RootsTech Connect 2021.

  • Art in the Spotlight: The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs | Art Gallery of Ontario

    Join artist and Toronto Photo Laureate Michèle Pearson Clarke for a conversation with AGO Associate Curator of Photography Julie Crooks about The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs, a singular collection of more than 3,500 historical images from 34 countries including Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. This visual record contains studio portraits, landscapes and tourist views and brings to life the changing economies, environments and communities that emerged post-emancipation. The Collection includes nearly every photographic format available during the years 1840 to 1940, including prints, postcards, daguerreotypes, lantern slides, albums, and stereographs.

  • BlackProGen LIVE! Ep 84: Getting Started with Caribbean Genealogy

    Learn tips, tricks, and more for researching ancestry in the Caribbean! Special guest, Anaisa Bayala.

  • Caribbean Ancestry Guide: Getting Started | Island Ancestors

    Use the strategies and hints in this video to trace your Caribbean ancestors. Before you know it you'll be on location just like on 'Who Do You Think You Are.' West Indian family history research is challenging but NOT impossible.

  • Tracing My Caribbean Ancestry - Reasons to do Genealogy! | Islands Ancestors

    How I traced my Caribbean ancestors back to the 18th century! The process of working on my family tree has helped me grow tremendously. Now I want to help you trace your Caribbean ancestors as far back as you can!

  • Caribbean Ancestry: Myths and Misconceptions | Island Ancestors

    Myths and Misconceptions are holding you back from tracing your Caribbean Ancestors. Challenge your assumptions and take your research forward.

    In this video, I dispel four common myths about West Indian family history.

  • The Colonisation of the Virgin Islands | Island Ancestors

    Did you know that the Virgin Islands were under six empires? I’m a born and raised Virgin Islander with roots there going back nearly 300 years. When I started researching my family I quickly realised that Virgin Islands history is far more complex and interesting than I ever imagined.

    In this video, I introduce you to the history of the Virgin Islands and why it’s a historically fascinating place.

  • The History of Indo-Caribbean Heritage (Kala Pani Archives / काला पानी अभिलेखागार) | DIS A FI MI HISTORY PODCAST

    In this episode, we delve into the fascinating Indo-Caribbean heritage with our special guest, Jess from the Kalapani Archives. Jess discusses the significant history of the East Indian indenture labor system that spread across the Caribbean, Africa, and the South Pacific.

    Learn about the inception of the Kalapani Archives, a repository that aims to shed light on this overlooked history and its relevance to present-day family research. Discover how Jess and her co-founder Tony, who met online through a shared interest in Indo-Caribbean history, have created a vibrant online community to unite descendants of Indian indentured laborers.

    Join us as Jess provides insights into the origins and significance of the Kalapani Archives, the challenges faced, and the future initiatives planned to continue expanding this essential historical resource.

  • Exploring the Early Caribbean Digital Archive: A Treasure Trove for Family and Historical Research | DIS A FI MI HISTORY PODCAST

    In this episode, we delve into the rich world of the Early Caribbean Digital Archive (ECDA) with the insights of Professors Nicole Aljo and Elizabeth Dillon, alongside their dedicated team.

    We explore the origins and objectives of the ECDA, a publicly accessible archive platform that houses a vast collection of pre-20th century Caribbean materials. Learn about their mission to decolonize and democratize knowledge by surfacing hidden narratives, such as those of enslaved individuals, embedded within historical texts.

    The team also shares their experiences and methodologies in curating and digitizing these invaluable resources, offering a glimpse into some fascinating exhibits like Obeah practices and Jamaican Heirs. Discover how you can navigate the archive, contribute to ongoing projects, and even use these resources for family research and educational purposes.

    Join us for a compelling discussion on the importance of preserving and accessing Caribbean history, both for understanding our past and informing our present.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGIST.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through collaboration with a professional genealogist.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

  • Ancestor Seekers

    Ancestor Seekers hosts the premier genealogy research trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. The company’s roots trace back to England, where Keith and Carol Spillar founded British Ancestors, offering expert genealogical services.

    However, upon encountering the wealth of resources at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City they redirected their efforts to establish Ancestor Seekers and introduce the Dream Genealogy Vacation. This unique experience offers guests a week-long immersion in the world’s largest genealogical library, The FamilySearch Library, where they access unparalleled resources as well as receive exclusive instruction and guidance from professional genealogists.

    Since its inaugural research week in February 2005, Ancestor Seekers has proudly welcomed genealogy enthusiasts for nearly two decades.

  • AncestryProGenealogists®

    The AncestryProGenealogists® team includes expert genealogists and family history specialists with extensive research experience—but the heart of the journey is you.

    Watch your family history come to life as our experts solve family mysteries, break down brick walls, resolve adoption riddles, dig into your DNA, and discover more about who you are and where you came from.

  • DESCUBRE TU HISTORIA

    Helping descendants from the Caribbean, Central, South and North American former Spanish colonies start the journey of healing and empowerment through the knowledge of their Family History.

  • Legacy Quest Genealogy

    Legacy Quest Genealogy helps clients clarify their family stories by providing genealogical research based on documents and facts. All of my research reports and biographical sketches meet industry-approved genealogical proof standards.

    Areas of expertise:

    - U.S. Mid-Atlantic States
    - The Spanish Caribbean, particularly Cuba
    - Latin America, including Mexico, Central, and South America
    - Spain, Italy, and Scotland
    - Dual Citizenship Application Process
    - Spanish Language Translation, Bilingual English & Spanish

  • Legacy Tree Genealogists

    Are you looking for details about your Caribbean ancestry? Do you need help getting started or have you hit a brick wall?

    Caribbean genealogy can be challenging, and the professional genealogists at Legacy Tree Genealogists can help with your research needs.

    Ancestors of Paradise visitors save on select genealogy research projects.

CARIBBEAN FAMILY TIES.

Uncover the rich lives of your Puerto Rican ancestors through Caribbean countries with shared histories and genealogies.

The following resources may include some affiliate links in an effort to support the continued growth of Ancestors of Paradise as a leading research resource in Caribbean genealogy. Thank you for your support!

Ancestry US

Ancestry US

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