Welcome to the latest episode of PRreserving History and Democracy! In this episode, we delve into the hidden history of the Conversos—the descendants of Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions—and trace their remarkable journey across centuries and continents.
Our guest, Sean Schifano , historian and founding archivist of the the Crypto-Jewish Historical Archives at New Mexico State University, joins us to illuminate this little-known but profoundly important story of cultural survival, religious transformation, and rediscovered identity. From the secret crypto-Jewish practices that endured under colonial rule to the rediscovery of Jewish ancestry through modern DNA testing, Schifano paints a vivid picture of how converso descendants in Mexico, Portugal, and the American Southwest have navigated questions of faith, belonging, and heritage.
Listeners will hear about extraordinary historical figures—like 19th-century intellectual Francisco Rivas Puig, who sought to reclaim Mexico's Jewish past—as well as the growth of communities such as the Venta Prieta congregation near Mexico City. Schifano also traces how shifting global forces, from Vatican II to the civil rights movements of the 1960s and 70s, created new space for people to explore and affirm their converso roots.
The episode also brings the story to the present day, exploring the creation of the Converso Legacy Archives (CLA)—the first systematic effort to collect and preserve records from those who claim converso descent. Schifano explains how the CLA is safeguarding oral histories, family documents, and community archives that tell the story of how individuals and families across generations have understood their layered identities—as Catholic, Jewish, Hispano, and everything in between.
Whether you're passionate about genealogy, Jewish history, or the ongoing dialogue between past and present, this episode offers a compelling look at how one community's buried legacy continues to shape identity, memory, and scholarship across the globe.
Watch the episode here.
Hosted by: Bernardine Caporale, Cynthia Mendoza
Special Guest: Sean Schifano
Produced by: Bernardine Caporale, Cynthia Mendoza, Jacob Slaughter
Edited by: Jacob Slaughter
