Irisneri Alicea Flores presents an engaging 90-minute workshop that demonstrates how family research deepens our understanding of culture and history. Drawing on Hispanic and Caribbean genealogy, the program illustrates how Indigenous, African and European roots intersect in historical records and how colonial systems shaped ancestral documentation. Through document-based examples—including her own search for her grandmother Faustina—participants learn to question historical labels, connect family stories to history and apply practical steps to begin their own research using home records, oral histories and free online tools.

Irisneri Alicea Flores is a professional genealogist, founder of Descubre Tu Historia, and Boston University certificate holder with over 13 years of experience specializing in Puerto Rican, Caribbean,and Latin American ancestry. A bilingual speaker born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, she has presented at libraries, museums and genealogical societies nationwide, empowering individuals of all backgrounds to discover, preserve and celebrate their roots.