Message from The SCJS President
My name is Blanca Monica Marina Garza Enriquez Espinoza Perez Crispin Tijerina Cortez Salinas. Carrasco is my married name. Over 30 years ago while living in El Paso, Texas, I came across a newspaper article published in Albuquerque, New Mexico about Dr. Stanley M. Hordes’ research about the history of crypto-Jews of New Mexico. That short story ignited an urgency in me to want to learn about the origin of my last names.
In 2017, I discovered that my biological father was a descendant of Marcos Alonso de La Garza y del Arcon, co-founder of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, a center for crypto-Jews since Spanish Colonial times. In his lineage, I found Constanza de la Garza, a crypto-Jew who was tried by the Spanish Inquisition, died in house-arrest and her bones and effigy were burned at an Auto de Fe in the Canary Islands, possibly my 13th grandmother.
Finding this ancestry has strengthened my community commitment and sense of connection, and is the reason that I am here today, feeling honored to have been elected as President of such a prestigious organization. I understand the great task ahead: to represent scholars, artists, authors, crypto-Jewish descendants, geneticists, and genealogists who are dedicated to the research and dissemination of the history of crypto-Jews of Iberian origin, and many other hidden Jewish communities. I can proudly state that I’m the product of such research. It is because of the passion and dedication of many scholars to bring to light the history of these hidden communities that I can declare that finding one’s roots can shape a person’s sense of self and their life choices.
I’ve chosen to serve you, and as your President, I reiterate my commitment to support the Society’s mission and vision as we move forward in the academic world and beyond. I want to thank Rosa Marina Siegel and her tenure as President. She leaves big shoes to fill, but I’m confident that with her support and all our board members and supporters, we will accomplish wonderful things for the benefit of SCJS and anyone interested in this cultural phenomenon.
Sincerely,
Blanca Carrasco
