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Latin American Studies: Population, Including Census Information

An introductory guide to doing research in Latin American studies in the UCSD Library

Resources on Population

Foreign Census Material

 

There are many resources provided by UCSD Library and others' to search for Latin American Census Information:

1. Online Family Search Library (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City)

The online collection holds digitized versions of much of the microfilm created by the Church and housed in its physical Library.

To search for and access material for a particular region, create an account and go to the FamilySearch Wiki:

Use the Map or “Search By Place and Topic” box.  This will bring you to a country specific page where you can search for a more specific term or use the facet menu on the right to identify particular kinds of records and collections (church, census, etc.)

For an example of how to use the Family Search Library Wiki to find particular materials, see the instructions on accessing the Mexican Padrones

 

2. A helpful resource to identify existing information -- which may be digitized on the wiki is the following:

A Guide to Latin American and Caribbean census material : a bibliography and union list by general editor, Carole Travis 

Call Number: Geisel Reference Floor 2 West HA755 .G85 1990

Publication Date: Boston, MA : G.K. Hall, 1990

 

3. The Library has purchased Datasets for relatively recent censuses in a number of Latin American Countries

 

  • Mexico 2010, Population Census, GCA-GIS
  • Brazil, 2010, Population Census, GCA-GIS
  • El Salvador, 2007, Population Census, GCA-GIS
  • Guatemala, 2018, Population Census, GCA-GIS
  • Honduras, 2013, Population Census, GCA-GI

All of these can be found in the “Latin America Census Collection” and accessed with AD login on the X: drive in the GIS Lab.

4. Mexican Census Material:

The Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (Mexico) provides access to much contemporary and historical Mexican census data

To get to Mexico’s first census (the Padrones, gathered between 1752-1865) (as well as additional Census Material) in the Online Family Search Library Wiki

> search for Mexico, which will take you to the Mexico Genealogy Page.

> Clilck on “Census” under record type on the left (please note that you can also search for other formats and collections of vital statistics) OR search for Padrones

(Either brings you to the Mexico Census page)

> Scroll down and click on: Padrones, 1752-1865

Once you are in, scroll down and click on the camera to access different sections of digitized microfilm.

Scroll down – click on the camera icon