About this Website

This database is dedicated to the Basque immigrants as well as other French and Spanish individuals who bravely left their home villages to come to Southern California in the late 19th and early 20th century. This database is the product of research conducted by Marianna Etcheverria and Mitch Gariador in 1979-80. After 30 years we felt that publishing the individual information we found on these immigrants and their families in a genealogy database was an ideal medium for others searching for information on their ancestors or historians interested in this group.

In addition to data on the immigrants themselves, we have provided information on their parents and children (when known) in order to portray a full picture of their lives on both sides of the Atlantic ocean. The original focus of the project was the 19th century, however, our desire is to continue the research into the early 20th century. Our current research is to include those individuals living in Southern California up to 1940 as that is the most recent U.S. census records available. As time permits, we will continue to add individuals and families and we encourage anyone who is interested in having their family members included, to contact us using the link in the left hand column.