I join you, Alicia, in welcoming Joseph's "tocayo" José.

I don't know if you've heard this one, which I learned thru a 
friend.  Paraphrasing Forrest Gump's memorable quote: "life is like a 
box of chocolates...", our new quote is "Mexican genealogy is like a 
big bowl of tamales, you never know what you're gonna get".  You may 
pull out a pork tamale, or beef, or cheese, beans, coconut, sugar and 
raisins.....

Victor

--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Alicia Carrillo <alliecar@p...> wrote:
> So well put Jose Munoz and welcome to this group.
>  
> I believe that anyone who is searching for their roots in Mexico 
has to be open minded. One can't believe that we're 100% this or 100% 
that. Just by virtue of the fact that we have or are descendants from 
Mexico a land that was invaded by Europeans less than 5 centuries 
ago. A land that was populated by many proud Indian tribes with such 
rich cultures, languages and history. A land that because of it's 
riches was invaded, pilfered, raided, raped, converted and yes even 
conquered. A country that experienced slavery and servitude. An 
Indian nation that fought to keep it's lands, languages, customs and 
religions but was ultimately defeated through disease, wars and 
greed. How can we not believe that we might be Spanish, Indian, 
mestizo, African, Jewish, Sephardic, Moor, Irish, French and who 
knows what else we may find.
>  
> That's the joy and the challenge of geneaology, to keep an open 
mind, to evaluate the documents with a little bit of skepticism and a 
little bit of joy at each new finding. To continue to learn, to ask 
the questions that need to be asked and yes, even to look into our 
DNA and let the evidence speak to us and be mindful and respectful 
off all those that came before us whether it's what we expected or 
not.
>  
> That's a little piece of my mind and I'm not 
budging..............Happy Hunting.......Alicia
>