Tracing Ramona Quijas: A Case Study in Transnational Genealogy and Bordeland Archival Gaps

Case Study: Transnational Genealogy and Archival Reclamation Across the U.S.-Mexico Border

Executive Summary: This genealogical process paper details a systematic investigation into the life, migration patterns, and identity of Ramona Quijas Suarez. Operating at the intersection of family oral history and digital curation, the project navigates the complex structural challenges of locating mid-20th-century Mexican vital records disrupted by regional conflicts like the Mexican Revolution and Cristero Rebellion. By cross-referencing qualitative oral history interviews with quantitative federal assets—including U.S. Non-resident Alien Border Crossing Identification Cards and California Death Index records—this case study outlines a rigorous methodology for verifying transnational family history and addresses the systemic indexing gaps inherent to borderlands archives.

Note: This project was originally developed for a Graduate History Practicum at Arizona State University.

 

Antonio De Jesus Torres-Moreno

Professor Merry

HST 580

Tracing Ramona Quijas: A Case Study in Transnational Genealogy and Borderlands Archival Gaps

As a child, no older than five years, I remember visiting my abuelita (Grandmother) Herlinda and my Tio (Uncle) Fili. My family would drive us from our busy urban neighborhood in City Heights, San Diego; across the border to Tijuana, Mexico, to a much quieter urban neighborhood where my grandmother lived. Some of my favorite memories visiting them, was eating homemade tomato pasta soup our family called Coditos (elbow shaped pasta) and walking with my grandmother to see her gardens. She grew many plants, and would use them for medicine and teas, such as herbs, succulents, and bushes, all with strong scents and smells. The land she lived on was enormous in my eyes, having only lived in apartments, I felt I visited a park. My Tio, who I would later learn was actually my great uncle Filiberto Moreno, younger brother to my abuelito Perfecto Moreno, lived in a small dwelling at the corner of the property where he grew trees. She would take me to visit him, and I would find him gardening and tending to his pomegranate and fig orchard or sitting and drinking beer from a glass pitcher listening to Rancheras (Popular Mexican music that often-told ballads of Mexico’s Revolution) on his radio in the shade. These memories are extremely dear to me and remind me of a humble and simple lifestyle before Tijuana’s downtown would stretch and absorb our quiet neighborhood as the 21st century began. 

My abuelita passed away in 2001 from cancer, and I would continue to visit Tijuana to visit my Tio Fili, who would eventually pass in 2015. Before his dementia eventually took him from us, he would share important information about our family. He would proudly tell me his brothers fought Hitler. He would say his mother Ramona bought this property and he was the last rightful owner of the land. He would also mention that his father was murdered in cold blood in their ranch in Leon, Mexico. As the oldest and last living member of the Moreno family from his brother's generation, he was our family’s greatest source of family history. His stories would leave me wondering who my grandparents and great grandparents really were, where they came from, and ask why only some of us came to live in the United States, specifically why only my grandfather's generation stayed in Tijuana, until my mother eventually immigrated to the U.S and had my sister and I. 

Research Question

The research subject of this genealogical investigation focuses on Ramona Quijas Suarez, and it asks, who was my great grandmother, mother of Perfecto Moreno, father of Olga Moreno, who is my birth mother; and what documents support evidence that she traveled as told by family oral history. It’s the focus of this paper to find more about the journeys and facts involving Ramona Quijas. She is barely mentioned; however, we know that she is responsible for raising an entire generation that would eventually settle through the South and Southwest United States and in Northern Mexico. This paper is an attempt to explain what sources were gathered, its limitations, and the process by which I came to conclusions about Ramona. 

My research begins with some questions that could help with this process: What was the exact birth date and birthplace of Ramona Quijas?; Can primary sources verify the death date and cause of death for Ramona Quijas, as told by family oral history?; What records can confirm Ramona Quijas living in different cities across the U.S Mexico border as told by family oral history ? These questions seek information that could accurately identify Ramona Quijas, and possibly explain her life. In asking these questions, I began my search for the sources needed to prove who she was.

 

            Background and Family Oral History

Before further investigation and sources were gathered, information passed through family oral history established the following: Ramona Quijas lived in the city of Leon, Guanajuato in Mexico.^[1] She was the wife of Angel Moreno, my great grandfather, where they both lived on a farm he owned and took care of with her sons and daughter.^[2] My great uncles, Angel and Ramona’s children were Ladislado, Basilio Moreno, Celedonio, Perfecto (my grandfather), Filiberto (Tio Fili), Natalia and Ramon Moreno.^[3] We also have this information available because of the kinship we still maintain with my grandfather's brothers' descendants, many, many 1st removed cousins.  

Oral family history states that while Ramona lived in Leon, Guanajuato, her husband was killed by their neighbor and was forced to flee.^[4] According to this tale, Perfecto, her son, was a young boy no older than 14 who witnessed the murder.^[5] In this unfortunate incident, he was blamed for the deadly dispute. Perfecto was tasked with taking care of goats, and when he was distracted, the goats moved to their neighbors' farm and ate most of their crop.^[6] This incited the dispute between his father and their neighbor.^[7] This part of our family history is told regretfully and with much pain as it was used to justify Perfecto’s pain he passed on with intergenerational trauma that many including myself try to heal from today. With the money gathered from selling their ranch, Ramona would eventually settle in Tijuana, Baja California in Mexico, where the property was passed down to only a few of her children.^[8] She would settle in Tijuana until the end of her life. It is said she is buried next to her son, Perfecto.^[9]

 

Research Methodology

The research objectives would try to answer two vital questions: determine the exact birth date and death of Ramona Quijas and verify Ramona Quijas’s travels across the U.S-Mexico border. Using the information known in producing this research plan, the working hypothesis is that Ramona Quijas Moreno, born Ramona Quijas Suarez, lived in Leon Guanajuato Mexico, married Angel Moreno, traveled to California, gave birth to at least three sons there and died in Mexico, specifically in Tijuana B.C. Mexico. The following information is needed for the proposed hypothesis: Civil Registration Records, specifically, birth records for Ramona Quijas Suarez; León, Guanajuato Church Records of Ramona Quijas and Angel Moreno; Burial records for Ramona Quijas, Newspapers from León, Guanajuato to search for articles related death of Angel and ownership of the ranch they owned; and death records of Ramona Quijas Mexico; and the birth records of her sons born in the U.S. By finding these documents and records, I can develop a strong case in proving Ramona's stories as told by family oral history. Supported by primary sources are her travels and where she came from. What still remains a mystery is if she was in fact born in Leon, Mexico.

My investigation began in Leon Guanajuato Mexico where, limited by travel (I live in San Diego, CA), I searched online through newspaper archives provided by ancestry.com and newspapers.com. I purchased subscriptions to both and began an extensive and meticulous search of Ramona Quijas, Ramona Quijas Suarez, and any and all variations of her name. The same went for Angel Moreno. I was limited in that I could not travel and search for physical documents, and requesting information directly from their civil registry for vital records such as birth certificates, marriage records, and death records was futile. I searched their civil registry online services and self help kiosks, however, without an exact death or birth date, the task became immense and to further progress, I had to pause.

Next I searched newspapers in ancestry.com and newspapers.com for any mentions of their names and any events passed down through family oral history, such as the deadly dispute that took place in Leon, Guanajuato where Angel Moreno was said to have lost his life. I searched for any church records from the catholic church. No records were found online through research in my search through newspapers.com and ancestry.com. My search through these archives was also limited because most of the information archived on newspapers.com held only newspapers from, at the time, more affluent cities and counties such as Mexico City, Jalisco, and Oaxaca were more prominent. Guanajuato, especially the city of Leon, was an area presumably less populated and important in the early and mid 20th century.

 

Historical Context

I’d also like to add historical context to the struggle I believe I faced in trying to find vital records. It is a fact that she had children during the 1920’s, my grandfather being born in 1926.^[10] Perfecto was the fourth child of seven and so her marriage and child rearing was done in a very tumultuous time in Mexico.^[11] The Mexican revolution of 1910 was an event that would displace and destroy communities in its duration. Perhaps this was our case. There is much debate about how long the revolution lasted and its impact, with many scholars still writing and collecting information on an event that had the world watching. The Mexican Revolution begins with the banishing of Pofirio Diaz, who had a 30 year reign in the oligarchy he established after instilling himself as president in the 1880’s. A potential primary source I found points out that if Ramona Quijas was born in 1891, then Ramona would have been 19 years old at the start of the Mexican revolution.^[12] This, I believe, could have been a factor in finding a church record at a time when Mexican people were aware of a revolution happening across the country. Further research would have to be done in what exactly transpired in the small town of Leon, Mexico. Much is written on cities of San Luis Potosi in Jalisco, and other key battlegrounds, however, little is known in the state of Guanajuato except for the battle of Celaya, a city hours away without a vehicle.  

Another factor to consider is also when her son, Perfecto Moreno was born. In the year 1926, when Perfecto was born, the Cristero Rebellion was also born. The Cristero Rebellion or La Cristiada, was a rebellion of mainly Catholic clergymen who were targeted in the new Mexican government's push of anticlerical policies. The Mexican government sought to establish an atheist secular state, but ultimately failed in enforcing their anticlerical policies and came to an agreement with religious leaders after many lives were lost. This affected every catholic community, and if buildings and churches weren't already destroyed by the Mexican revolution, churches, a sole target during the rebellion, would have been most likely affected. Again, more research on the historical context of the city of Leon would have to be done to give context. 

Findings

My search was not completely in vain. Through ancestry.com , I was able to find records of a border crossing document mentioning Ramona Quijas de Moreno and Natalia Moreno, whom I believe could be my great grandmother and her daughter, my great aunt. The information provided what could be evidence that Ramona traveled across the U.S Mexico border. Ancestry.com, via suggestion provided a hint that it found a potential lead of Ramona Quijas.^[13] The record found was a U.S Border crossing card, called a “Non-resident Alien Border Crossing Identification Card” for the San Ysidro port of entry in California, where in June 26 1945, a person identified as “Ramona Quijas de Moreno”, a 54 year old woman born in Leon Guanajuato who last departed from Tijuana, B.C accompanied by a 12 year old Natalia, presumably her daughter or family.^[14] Other key information included what could be a birthday inside of the question box asking for place of birth, legible is the year being 91, however, the months and dates are hardly legible. This confirms the age at which she arrived being 54, confirming that the inscribed date is probably their birthday. Even more compelling, in the question (barely legible, however, by searching for the same card used, I found the structure and format for the card and verified the question) it asks “ever in the U.S. from-”, and the response input is “Yes. States about 6 years ago in Casa Blanca.”.^[15]

Although I was excited to find any record at all and especially a document pertaining to Ramona Quijas, I was extremely skeptical when first reading the last name ‘de Moreno’, because in almost every instance regarding Spanish last names, the ‘de’ is not a preposition that means ‘from’; rather part of the last name itself such as, Juan ‘De la Cruz’ or Esteban ‘De la Torre’, as an example. Later however, through an interview I conducted with my eldest aunt, I would become more confident that it could be Ramona Quijas, as she confidently told me that it was common practice for a married woman in Mexico to identify themselves as belonging “from” their husband, making the name Ramona Quijas de Moreno, more of a statement when explaining herself to U.S border crossing officials.^[16] Also to note, the “de” was not capitalized as is common in last names containing the non-prepositioned word, providing more skepticism that it could not be Ramona.

My next possible piece of evidence of Ramona’s travel and identify is another document found through ancestry.com, a card labeled as “Application For: Non-resident Alien Border Crossing Identification Card” for “Quijas de Moreno, Ramona”, a woman born on Aug. 30th 1891 from Leon, Guanajuato who is widowed.^[17] On a second half of the document, perhaps on the backside, it states it was issued on Oct. 15 1945. This document seems to complement the first border crossing document issued to Ramona Quijas, explaining that she crossed to the U.S-Mexico border in the San Ysidro port of entry on June 28th 1945, then returned and crossed again on October 15 in the same year. Assuming this could be Ramona Quijas, my great grandmother, the information gathers vital information about Ramona. First, she traveled and perhaps lived in an area called Casa Blanca, cross referencing this with family oral history, potentially in Riverside California. Second she traveled with a child named Natalia, possibly her daughter who she would have had when she was 42, her second to last child, if that was her daughter. Third, her birthday, confirming on the document that the identified person was born on August 30th of 1891. The information gathered by these two documents finds that if it is indeed Ramona Quijas Moreno, she was born on August of 1891 in Leon Guanajuato, traveled more than once between the U.S-Mexico Border, and at one point brought her 12-year-old daughter to travel with her. My grandfather Perfecto, her son, would have been about 18 years old, having given birth to him when she was 36.

Another record possibly mentioning Ramona is her son Basilio Moreno. On ancestry.com the California U.S death index for “Bacilio Q Moreno” was suggested for me to review.^[18] At first glance the name is spelled slightly differently. My great uncle's name Basilio uses an ‘s’ syllable versus a ‘c’. Many names are changed through immigration and integration into the U.S, and that could be a proper justification. This information is relevant because it lists a ‘Quijas’ as their mothers maiden name, and Basilio’s birthday coincides with a possible range when Ramona would’ve had her son. A death record for Ladislado, from the same database, also had similar information where their mothers maiden name was Quijas.^[19] Both death records from Basilio and Ladislado provided strong evidence of Ramona possibly living in Los Angeles.

My next tasks included investigating primary sources such as Ramona Quijas grave marker and conducting an oral history interview on my eldest aunt, Berta Moreno, who remembers Ramona Quijas as a young girl no older than 14. Berta was born in 1948, her birth date would help in deducing a lot of the information I present in my conclusion. When arriving in Tijuana, I went to the private cemetery where my grandparents Perfecto Moreno and Herlinda Ramirez Moreno are buried. Ramona, my great grandmother, is said to be buried there too. Unfortunately, after finding no grave marker and asking the on site office in charge of the cemetery for Ramona Quijas, who is said to be buried next to Perfecto, there was no further information. When I asked my aunt Berta about why there was no gravemarker, even though she had died in Tijuana, B.C., they speculated that it was because she converted to an Apostolic Christian faith later in life that abstained from celebration and idolatry, and Ramona decided not to have a grave marker in accordance with her churches wishes.^[20]

My most important and crucial source was the oral interview I conducted with Martha Chavez, known in our family as Bertha, which provided key details about Ramona Quijas, most notably her death. Some factors that led to delaying her oral interview were my aunt Bertha’s health, her availability, and locations. My aunt Bertha is 77 years old and as her health declines, she constantly crosses the U.S-Mexico border to access her health services and medicine. Her retirement home is in Tijuana B.C. and constantly crosses to visit her daughter and receive physical therapy and medication in San Ysidro. An option would have been to call her, conduct and record our conversation over the phone; however, she had been having issues with her cellphone and couldn't hear my questions very well. My cousin's home in San Ysidro was also a factor, since there wasn’t enough quiet space to appropriately capture her words. The last solution was taking her to Tijuana, where I offered to drive her to her home and visit her mothers grave in an effort to help her remember. She begins to suffer from age-related memory changes. This is a challenge I must address as throughout the interview, she expresses frustration in not being able to remember things about her parents and grandparents. We were ultimately successful however, to conduct the oral history project in investigating Ramona Quijas, and learning more about the family she created.

My aunt Bertha, confirmed that Ramona Quijas died in Tijuana from a heart attack when Bertha was roughly 10 years old.^[21] Ramona could have been 67 years old in 1958 when she died if born in 1891. I deduce this from the fact that my aunt is currently 77 years old, born in 1948.^[22] Perfecto, her father, was born in 1926, making him 22 years old.^[23] Berta confirms that Perfecto and Herlinda had a son named Luis when they were 18, and had some miscarriages until she was born.^[24]

New information also included that she had a sister named Barbara and a cousin named Juanita.^[25] The interview highlighted important information about when she died and why there was no grave marker when she died, such as her change of religious beliefs and church. As for Ramona’s travels, Bertha confirmed that Ramona did in fact travel to see her sons Ladislado, Celedonio, and Basilio in California.^[26] Stories of her uncles visiting her and she herself traveling to Los Angeles to visit family confirm her uncle's livelihood in Los Angeles, as well as the connections they had in Los Angeles. 

 

Findings and Future Research

With the information gathered from primary sources, I concluded that Ramona lived in Leon Guanajuato Mexico, moved to Tijuana B.C. where she lived there until her death, and visited Los Angeles on occasion to visit her sons. The interview with Bertha confirms these facts. What is not confirmed, because of lack of vital records, was when and where she was born, however the Border Crossing record provides evidence that she was from Leon, Guanajuato. The challenge is whether or not this document actually proves this was my great grandmother.  There is a deducted year of death for Ramona. The border crossing records aren’t sufficient enough in confirming if that was Ramona, as appealing as they were. Neither are the death records of Bacilio Moreno Q and Ladislado Moreno Quijas whose mothers maiden name was Q and Quijas respectively.

Another good investigation could have been looking at our deed we have in Tijuana, B.C., which could list Ramona as the buyer of the property. Unfortunately, due to unusual circumstances, the property is being fought for internally and many legal battles have transpired over the course of 6 years. I would have had to travel again and ask in person about this property, but with conflicts, this may have been a great challenge. I am confident the issue will resolve in the future, and reliable data will be available after the courts in Tijuana establish who is the owner of the property.

Further genealogical research in finding records of my great uncles, Ramona’s sons, could also help in finding more about her travels and life in Los Angeles, however, without vital records specifically pointing to Ramona Quijas, the process is difficult and hard. The limitation of travel was also difficult, as Leon, Guanajuato is far. Visiting and investigating birth, marriage, and death records in person would be effective in finding more. Finding Angel Moreno’s gravemarker in Leon, Guanajuato could also provide more information, as sometimes important information such as who they were married with is usually added in traditional catholic gravemarkers, as was my grandparents Perfecto and Herlinda who were buried together. If time and resources weren’t challenges, travel and access to Mexico and its archives in Leon Guanajuato would help tell us more about Ramona. Ramona’s story is one of struggle and hardship, and one that reflects the larger stories of many Mexican immigrant families that either fled from violence in Mexico, and/or sought opportunity in America. What we do know is that she was largely responsible for establishing the livelihood of her descendants in making the choice to move north and buy the property in Tijuana where many, including myself still use and benefit even today. 

 

Bibliography

Ancestry.com. "California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997." Database. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Original data from State of California, California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. Accessed September 30, 2025.

Chavez, Martha (Bertha Moreno Ramirez). Interview by Antonio Torres-Moreno. September 17, 2025. Transcript. Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

National Archives and Records Administration. Manifests of Alien Arrivals at San Ysidro (Tia Juana), California, April 21, 1908 - December 1952. NAI: 2843448. Record Group 1: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Washington, D.C. Digital images on Ancestry.com, U.S., Border Crossings from Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006. http://www.ancestry.com. Accessed September 30, 2025.

Torres-Moreno, Antonio. Photograph of Grave Marker for Perfecto Moreno (1926-1976) and Herlinda Ramirez Cienega (1926-2001). Taken September 17, 2025, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

 

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^[1] Martha Chavez (Berta Moreno Ramirez), interview by Antonio Torres-Moreno, September 17, 2025, transcript.

^[2] Ibid

^[3] Ibid

^[4] Ibid

^[5] Ibid

^[6] Ibid

^[7] Ibid

^[8] Ibid

^[9] Ibid

^[10] Photograph of Grave Marker for Perfecto Moreno (1926-1976) and Herlinda Ramirez Cienega (1926-2001). Taken by Antonio Torres-Moreno, September 17, 2025, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

^[11] Martha Chavez (Berta Moreno Ramirez), interviewed by Antonio Torres-Moreno.

^[12] Border crossing manifest card for Ramona Quijas de Moreno, series A-168, 26 June 1945, San Ysidro, California; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at San Ysidro (Tia Juana), California, April 21, 1908 - December 1952; NAI: 2843448; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 1; National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed [September 17 2025), U.S., Border Crossings from Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964 (database online), microfilm publication M1767, roll 6727.

^[13] Border crossing manifest for Ramona Quijas de Moreno, 26 June 1945, San Ysidro, California (Ancestry.com, M1767, roll 6727)

^[14] Ibid

^[15] Ibid

^[16] Martha Chavez (Berta Moreno Ramirez), interviewed by Antonio Torres-Moreno.

^[17] Border crossing manifest card for Ramona Quijas de Moreno, series A-168, 15 October 1945, San Ysidro, California; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at San Ysidro (Tia Juana), California, April 21, 1908 - December 1952; NAI: 2843448; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 1; National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed [September 17 2025), U.S., Border Crossings from Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964 (database online), microfilm publication M1767, roll 6728.

 

^[18] Ancestry.com, "California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997," database on-line (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000), entry for Bacilio Q Moreno, died 29 November 1987, San Diego;original data: State of California, California Death Index, 1940-1997 (Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics).

^[19]Ancestry.com, "California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997," database online (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000), entry for Ladislao Quijas Moreno, born 27 June 1917, died 23 June 1981, Los Angeles; original data: State of California, California Death Index, 1940-1997 (Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics).

 

^[20]  Martha Chavez (Berta Moreno Ramirez), interviewed by Antonio Torres-Moreno.

^[21] Martha Chavez, interview by Antonio Torres-Moreno, Tijuana B.C., September 17 20205

^[22] Ibid

^[23] Photograph of Grave Marker for Perfecto Moreno (1926-1976) and Herlinda Ramirez Cienega (1926-2001). Taken by Antonio Torres-Moreno, September 17, 2025, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

^[24]  Martha Chavez, interview by Antonio Torres-Moreno, Tijuana B.C., September 17 20205

^[25] Ibid.

^[26] Ibid.