Looking For My Roots

San Juan, Puerto Rico – October 23, 2025

I attended the conference Haciendo las Américas: Routes, Journeys, and Destinations, in San Juan, Puerto Rico from Oct 23 thru 25. The Sociedad Puertoriquena de Genealogia organized the joint celebration of multiple events. These included the XXIV American Genealogy Meeting, the XIV Ibero-American Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, and the III Puerto Rican Genealogy Congress.

The first day of the Congreso opened my eyes to the Caribbean’s rich tapestry. Migration, defense, and resilience have shaped this region. From noble title controversies to family sagas spanning continents, each presentation revealed another layer of our shared history.

Noble Titles and Genealogical Fraud

Javier Gómez de Olea y Bustinza from Madrid opened the conference with a fascinating forensic genealogy case. As Director of the Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía, he exposed the falsification used in 1918 to rehabilitate the title of Count of Santa Ana de las Torres. The legitimate lineage traced back to Don Nicolás de Ribera “El Viejo,” the first mayor of Lima, but somewhere along the way, fabricated documents crept into the record. Co-authored with Peruvian genealogist Mela Bryce, this presentation reminded us that rigorous documentation is essential—and that even noble titles aren’t immune to historical manipulation.

Courageous Women Crossing the Atlantic

Enrique Javier Yarza Rovira from Montevideo shared a compelling story about the founding of Uruguay between 1724 and 1730. The Spanish Crown recruited families from the Canary Islands, who arrived in two waves (1726 and 1729). What struck me most was his focus on women traveling alone in 1729, some of them heads of households. These courageous women left everything behind to build new lives in an unknown land.

His presentation sparked a personal connection for me. Enrique mentioned that ships bound for the Americas routinely picked up crew and families in Tenerife, particularly in the area of Santa Cruz. Could this explain how my family’s Barrio Cruz (now Cruces) in Rincón, Puerto Rico was settled by Canary Island immigrants? It’s a thread I’m eager to pull.

Fortifying the New World

Dr. Milagros Flores Román transported us to the 16th century with her presentation on Bautista Antonelli, the military engineer who designed the first defensive system protecting Spain’s Caribbean holdings. As Spanish territories faced constant threats from European rivals, Antonelli crafted strategic fortifications that would define the region’s geopolitical landscape. The port of San Juan emerged as a crucial defensive anchor in this system—a fact that continues to echo through the city’s historic architecture today.

From Burgos to Colombia: The Santodomingo Saga

Rocío Sánchez Del Real from Colombia shared a fascinating detective story. While researching the wealthy Santodomingo family—once Colombia’s richest—she set out to verify rumors of Sephardic Jewish ancestry. Instead, she uncovered something equally compelling: a migration route that began in 15th-century Burgos, Spain, wound through Nantes, France, contributed to Haiti’s Santodomingo Colony, survived the Haitian Revolution, and finally landed in New Granada. This wasn’t just genealogy; it was a story of migration, slavery, wealth creation, and eventual return to Europe in the 21st century. All documented through a 1577 patent of nobility from Philip II and various civil and ecclesiastical records.

Hidden Stories of Faith

Dr. Albeyra L. Rodríguez Pérez presented groundbreaking research on Judaizing individuals who migrated to the Caribbean during the 17th century. Using inquisitorial documents—causas de fe and passenger licenses—she revealed migration patterns and family networks that have received little scholarly attention. This work opens new windows into the religious and cultural dynamics of colonial Caribbean life.

The Round-Trip Journey

Professor Aníbal de la Cruz Pérez—whom I noted as “a hoot!”—shared his family’s story with both humor and wisdom. The Pérez-Gallosa family journey between the Bay of Cádiz and Puerto Rico spanned from 1750 to 2013. His presentation asked fundamental questions: Why? For what purpose? When? How? And to where should we return? After 250 years, his family made that return journey, offering valuable lessons for anyone contemplating their own genealogical pilgrimage.

Destiny or Coincidence?

Rosana Medina Peraza explored the experiences of travelers from Lanzarote who set out for one destination in the Americas and ended up in Puerto Rico by chance. Despite suffering invasions, natural disasters, and economic hardship, Canary Islanders emigrated during the 19th and 20th centuries. Notarial records reveal how they sold properties, arranged powers of attorney, and settled debts before departure—leaving paper trails that now help us understand their journeys.

Modern Tools for Ancient Roots

Arturo Cuellar González from FamilySearch demonstrated how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing genealogical research. With over 30 years of experience and degrees from BYU and the University of Utah, Cuellar showed how modern technology can help us unlock centuries-old records more efficiently than ever before.

The Royal Decree that Changed Everything

Dr. Raquel Rosario Rivera examined the Real Cédula de Gracias of 1815—arguably the most critical regulation in 19th-century Puerto Rican history. This decree catalyzed dramatic economic growth through the establishment of new plantations, businesses, sawmills, and industries. Capital investment, the influx of enslaved people, and new machinery transformed Puerto Rico’s economy.

What struck me most was how long its effects lasted. Though officially limited to 15 years and supposedly repealed in 1836, the decree’s influence extended until 1851, and land grants continued until 1875. For 37 years, it remained essentially unchanged, fundamentally reshaping Puerto Rico’s landscape. I learned about “Baldío” land—an inaccessible, uncultivable territory that was nevertheless “given” under the decree’s provisions.

Looking Ahead

Day 1 left me energized and full of questions. The connections between the Canary Islands and Puerto Rico, the hidden stories of religious minorities, the economic transformations of the 1815 decree, and the exposure of genealogical fraud—each presentation opened new avenues for exploration.

Day 2 was also exciting with more discoveries as the congress continued. For anyone tracing Caribbean roots, this gathering proves invaluable: it’s not just about finding names and dates, but understanding the forces—economic, political, religious, and personal—that shaped our ancestors’ choices and journeys.

Stay tuned for Day 2 highlights…

Conference Details:

• Full schedule: Conference Program
• Speaker biographies: Conference Presenters

Resources Mentioned:

• FamilySearch AI Full-Text Search

Connect with Speakers:

• Dr. Raquel Rosario Rivera: Website | Facebook
• Enrique Javier Yarza Rovira: IEGU Website | FamilyTreeWebinars Profile
• Javier Gómez de Olea y Bustinza: RAMHG Profile | Facebook

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