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Archiver > CUBA > 2001-02 > 0982535034


From:
Subject: [CUBA] Searching Spanish Names
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 17:23:54 EST


Hi Everyone,

Just thought I would pass this along as a reminder for us...

"As you know, Hispanics for the most part, use a two surname
system. So, an individual named Maria Jimenez Garcia has two
surnames: Jimenez and Garcia. In most instances, Maria received
Jimenez from her father and Garcia from her mother. That is the
usual rule.

The problem I have noticed is that when this person is made part
of a database in the U.S.A., the surname indexed is the "last"
one and Jimenez is turned into a sort of "middle name." This can
and does cause great confusion plus it means that the person is
"lost" in the database.

Let me give you an example. The researcher is using the database
to search for Jimenez, but it has not been indexed since it is
not the "last name," so it doesn't appear in the index and the
researcher is left thinking the person is not in the database.

This "error" in indexing, if it can be called that, comes about
as a result of those preparing databases not being familiar with
the Hispanic two surname system. In effect, the concept they are
using is that of "last name." Instead, people should use and get
used to using the word surname(s). By doing so, if they
encounter a person with more than one surname, the first one
won't be turned into a "middle name."

Additionally, I believe this problem arises from the fact that
most genealogy or database programs cannot handle a two surname
system unless one uses a hyphen, i.e. Jimenez-Garcia. However,
in that case the surname is indexed under Jimenez only (with the
Garcia attached to it by a hyphen), but not indexed under Garcia
as it also should be."

Quoted from::
MISSING LINKS: RootsWeb's Genealogy Journal


Also, another interesting website to visit for those of us with Cuban roots
in Key West
http://cubanfest.com/index1.htm

Denise :)

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