My father, Jose Rios Nebro was born on November 22, 1960 in Malaga, Spain, where he lived for 24 years until he immigrated to the United States. In brief, this is his story. Jose Rios Nebro is the oldest child of four, born to Isabel Nebro Rubio and Rafael Rios Gallardo. Both of his grandfathers worked as fishermen on the southern shores of Spain’s Mediterranean coastline, as did he, before coming to the United States from Spain in 1984. Religiously, my father’s family background is Roman Catholic. But, from a very early age, he began to wear the Star of David around his neck. He didn’t know what it was or what it symbolized, but he had seen it in a shop, was attracted to it, bought it, and began to wear it. That is the artifact I am sharing. It is an integral part of his identity. Before meeting my mother my dad had never known anyone of that faith. My parents met in Spain in the summer of 1980 when my mom was studying at the Universidad de Malaga. My dad spoke no English and my mom spoke basic High School Spanish. They dated for the two months of her study abroad program and corresponded for the next two years by old fashioned snail mail. After college, my mother moved to Spain to be with him. After studying many Hebrew and Jewish texts, learning Hebrew, and meeting my mother’s family, my dad decided he wanted to become Jewish and even attempted to convert to Judaism in Spain. In the end, my maternal grandparents facilitated my father’s immigration to the United States. 

– Marina Bardash Nebro

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant