| Vital records in California have been kept by the state
registrar of vital statistics since 1 July 1905.
This database is an index
to the death records of Puerto Ricans in California from 1940 through 1997 a total of
9,453
records. The information provided in this database is sure to prove useful
to those researching in the state of California.
It should be noted that some Hispanic people, after leaving their country,
drop their maternal surname (even if not formally), so as to better fit into
the English-speaking or non-Hispanic society they live or work in. Sometimes
they also take their mother's maiden name as the main surname.
And if the person is a married woman, do not discard anything. She may
have taken her husband's name and discarded her own. Or, she might have
inserted one of her surnames before her husband's or any other combinations
depending on what she might have heard is the "right" way.
Here's an example: Maria Colon Martinez married John Murphy. She can change
the name to: Maria Colon Murphy; or Maria Colon-Murphy or Mary Murphy, Mary
Martinez or Murphy and so on. Also remember the
practice of both male and female of Americanizing their names. For example,
a "Juan" might become "John" or a "María" might decide to change her name to
the English equivalent of "Mary".
Bottom line, when dealing with these individuals, you must NOT take the
presented name as their true legal name. Many Happy Discoveries! |
portal to Puerto Rico
Genealogy!
