Robles was born in Guantánamo, she was educated in Cuba where she attended the Institute of Guantánamo and the University of Havana. She emigrated to the United States in 1957 and continued her studies at the Russell Sage College. She received her master's degree from the State University of New York at Albany and was awarded her doctorate from the State University of New at Stony Brook. She has held numerous teaching positions and currently divides her time between South Africa and the United States.
