The Secret Society: Descendants of Crypto-Jews in the San Antonio ...

had filled his colony with people who were either “New Christians” or “recalcitrant and
obdurate” Jews”. 33 The rest of the family was striped of possessions, left destitute, forced
to wear Penitential garb, and imprisoned. The now ex-governor of Nuevo Leon died
alone in an Inquisition cell in the first year of his imprisonment, unappreciated by his
country and unmourned by his family who he testified against. Six years later, the
Governor’s sister, nephew Luis Carvajal, and three of his nieces were found guilty of
reverting back to Judaism and burned at the stake in an elaborate auto-de-fe on December
8, 1596. 34 The Cultural Evidence
This section is a collection of stories from descendants of crypto-Jews in the San
Antonio area. Every person has a different background and current religion, but they are
united in that their ancestors were persecuted by the Spanish or Portuguese Empires. It
must be understood that oral history is not an exact science (especially after over five
centuries); facts can become blurred and traditions can mutate. This is true especially of
the crypto-Jews in the Spanish Empire, who had to stay hidden so they were not found by
the Inquisition. For this reason there are obviously no paper documents from conversos
detailing their history and traditions, because it would be a risk to their families’ lives. In
must be mentioned that oral history is many times not as accepted in the history
community as written primary documentation (particularly when writing a history thesis).
However, if history is not written on paper, does it mean it is no longer relevant? Are
people just supposed to forget this period of the past because it is necessary to rely on
interviews? Of course not! By not acknowledging the past, it does a disservice to those
who are presently trying to find their own identity in one of history’s messes, and is
disrespectful to their ancestors who suffered under the circumstances. It is also
important to document these stories as quickly as possible because traditions and family
culture are beginning to disappear in the present day. The following stories are from San
Antonio natives: Roi Garcia, Ezra (Eduardo) Villarreal, Mary (San Miguel) and Laura
Kraus, Arturo Martinez, and Edward B. Garcia, Sr. Through these interviews it is
possible to view the cultural evidence left by the crypto-Jews in San Antonio.
Roi Garcia 35
Roi Garcia is the rabbi at the Messianic Jewish Synagogue, Baruch HaShem, in
northern San Antonio. His great-grandfather was the first to come to the Americas from
the Canary Islands. He arrived in Cuba and stayed there for four to five years, and then
moved to Mexico where he stayed until the Mexican Revolution fifteen years later. This
would make Garcia’s children fourth generation San Antonians, and they continue to
contribute to the influence of the crypto-Jews in the area and pass down the Jewish
traditions.
To the general public Garcia’s great-grandfather presented himself as Catholic,
but in private he considered himself Jewish. Garcia said, “He was a Catholic during the
day and then at night he was Jewish. […] He [great-grandfather] told everybody he was
33 Ibid, Ashford, Spanish Texas: Yesterday and Today, 47.
34 Ibid, Toro, The Carvajal Family, 477.
35 Roi Garcia, Interviewed by author, San Antonio, Texas, 23 May 2006.
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