4th Saturday Genealogy Seminar

It's time for another exciting 4th Saturday Genealogy Seminar - Bringing Our Tejano History to Life: My experience using AI for Transcribing Spanish Records for Tejano Research

Ever stared at an old Spanish record and thought, “¡Ay caramba! I can’t read this?” You’re not alone. I’ll share my real-life journey using AI tools to help me read and transcribe historic Spanish documents for Tejano family research. From old church records to dusty civil registrations, I’ll show how these new tools make our ancestors’ names, stories, and places come alive — without making stuff up or changing our history. Learn how AI can help us keep our Tejano roots strong and pass our family stories on to the next generation.

A is a family historian, a former Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin (TGSA) officer, and presented at the Texas State Genealogical Society 2021 Leadership Forum and the 45th Annual Texas Hispanic Genealogical and Historical Conference “Nosotros Los Tejanos”.

Monica's interest in her family history began in elementary school, when looking at her baby book where her mother recorded the names of her ancestors going back to her 1st great grandparents. A paternal uncle passed on the responsibility to her almost 10 years ago. Monica's strength in research is beneficial in researching her family, as well as her partner's. She supports authentic, ethical family research and works to preserve her family's Mestizo heritage so she can pass it on to her son and his family. She earned an MA in Human Sciences (Sociology & Education) and a BA in Political Science, with a background in researching and evaluating public policy issues and currently is policy director for a local nonprofit in Austin.