In my absence from writing here, I have immersed myself in researching about other families which you can all read about here and here. Research has given me the opportunity to learn about the rich legacy of other Filipino families. It has made me more familiar with surnames — it geo-origins and etymologies. It has given me insight on the varying naming conventions used in each time period.
Juan Anderson Hernandez
Through my readings, questions have been ricocheting in my head: In the name “Juan Anderson Hernandez”, was Anderson his mother’s surname (as oral histories insist)? Or was Anderson a second given name?
1. Was Anderson his mother’s surname? Juan was born in 1885 during the Spanish era. During this time, he may have been referred to as Juan Hernandez y Anderson (although I have not found his name in a document in this configuration). His mother was supposedly a woman of American-Mexican descent. Given the fact that Juan’s birthplace, the land-locked Lipa, is only a few of kilometers north east of Batangas City (which used to lie along the route of the Spanish Galleon Trade from Mexico) this story is plausible. His mother would have been called Macaria Anderson before she married Herman Hernandez — but she was only referred to by her married name in her son’s death certificate.
2. Was Anderson his second given name? A good example of this practice is our Commonwealth president, Manuel Luis Molina Quezon, who has been referred to in history as ML Quezon — without his mother’s surname. When Juan entered military service, his superiors would have been Americans and they would have used naming conventions familiar to them. Another hypothesis I have been working on is that he adapted the second name Anderson to differentiate him from others. His name Juan Hernandez is, sadly, very common in that region (I have found hundreds in Lipa and neighboring towns). Anderson might be the surname of an American officer he was indebted to early in his military career.
Let me masticate on these as my search continues. If my dearest Magno and Hernandez relatives can provide more concrete proof on the origins of Juan and his brother Nicolas, do let me know. :)
Filed under: .General
Why are research and conservation efforts focused on such a small percentage of the population? Why are research tools not readily available to the general public? Why are rare papers at the National Archives only available to those with a “special authority” from the director? Why do people sell their lolo’s old office papers por kilo at the bote-garapa?
The LDS Family History Center across the main temple in Quezon City has been invaluable in my research into my own ancestry and family history.
Behind my questions is the poor state of interest in history and preservation in the Philippines. Ambeth Ocampo, with his writings, has done a lot to bring the lives of Filipino heroes closer to the the average Pinoy; but so much more needs to get done. I feel that the best way to get kids and young adults today interested in the time before Facebook games and Android phones is to get them researching about something personal — their own families.
Sadly, little has been done to effectively present history research as an interesting personal journey. Aside from the CLDS Family History Centers, their is no repository of data that is conducive to research (my trips to the National Library and National Archives will be the topic of a separate entry — a looong one). So much of the fascinating tales of our lolo‘s and lola‘s, often shared in family reunions, are based on oral histories — which, as some of us have observed, grow grander over time. There is no organized group of genealogy enthusiasts who are championing the preservation of the personal histories of the common tao.
We need a Philippine Genealogical Society.
I am in search of equally passionate Filipino family history researchers to form the nucleus of the organization. I am looking for individuals who have, through first-hand documented research, built their family trees and communicated their findings to their relatives or other interested parties, either through printed materials or digital media. They should be willing to volunteer their time to toward improving genealogy practices and increasing interest in family history in the Philippines.
Please fill out this on-line sign-up sheet (http://bit.ly/pgs-intro-form). It will ask you some contact details as well as three questions on your genealogy experience — you will need about ten minutes to fill it out. You can also join the discussion in this forum.
I know there are not a lot of Pinoy genealogists out there, so I will wait for as long as it takes. Individual invitations will also be extended to historians of note. When a critical mass is achieved, I will call for a start-up meeting, in Metro Manila. I am eager for the sharing of ideas on how to move ancestry and family history research into the mainstream.
After getting my paternal ancestry test results, I am now all gung-ho about hunting via the DNA route. This time, I found my mom’s mom’s mom’s … mom’s mom. Maternal lineage tests are derived from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which is passed from a mother to her children — both male and female. This test is a powerful investigative tool for researching the maternal line and identifying one’s maternal ancient ancestry.
From Africa, through China, to the Americas.
I am blown away at how I share DNA similarities with a group that has literally roamed the earth! Haplogroup B is also referred to as THE JOURNEYERS. I entered the values into Mitosearch, and compared my DNA makeup with many others on record. I found that I share ancient maternal ancestry with people from Argentina, Barabados, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Korea, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
I am looking forward to reading a novel called “The Seven Daughters of Eve” by Brian Sykes, which is describes the lifestyle of the Journeyers in a rich narrative surrounding their ancestral mother, whom the author called “Ina”. It is so cool how that means mother in Tagalog.
If you are my San Diego, Porcincula, De Leon or Concepcion relative, give me a holler if you want a copy of the full report.
You belong to the Journeyers, Haplogroup B, which emerged around 50,000 years ago during an initial migration from Africa into Asia. The Journeyers most likely mapped this migration directly through Central Asia. About 12,000 years ago some of the Journeyers migrated into the Americas across the Bering Straight land bridge. Because of this migration, the Journeyers have been associated with Native American populations at rates of about 24%.
Many of the descendants of the Journeyers are found among Native Americans in the southwestern United States, known for its cactus-covered, arid desert. Native tribes of the American southwest include the Apache, Hopi, Navajo and Zuni, among others.
The people known as Apache are actually a gathering of different tribes who have, over time, become regarded as a single group. There are significant differences among the Apache tribes, but there are also notable similarities. Among the broad Apachean cultures shamans play a key role, although the ceremonies they lead and participate in may vary.
The Hopi people are called Hopituh Shi-nu-mu in their language, which translates to “The People of Peace.” Peace is central to the Hopi’s cultural and religious beliefs. A matrilineal tradition gives structure to the Hopi society and means that when a man marries, he joins his wife’s family. Kivas, square spaces used for spiritual ceremonies, have been used by Hopis since ancient times for ritual prayers, dances, and sacred chants.
There are also many Journeyers in the southern Siberian regions, and in and near present-day Mongolia and China. Your ancient ancestors may have lived in these regions as well. Among these people are the Tuvans, a nomadic people who live in yurts and herd reindeer, yaks and cattle and are known for their enchanting throat singing. The Buryats and the Altay also live in this general region and have notable rates of Journeyers among their populations. There is evidence that the Altay mastered metalwork almost 2,000 years ago.
Over the 50,000 years since your ancestors emerged, they have traveled around Asia, and descendants of the Journeyers can be found in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.
