Blessing La Política: The Latino Religious Experience and Political Engagement in the United States

An essential guide to the new face of electoral politics in America, this book provides an examination of the political mobilization of Latinos and Latinas through the churches and the influence of being of the Catholic faith, enabling an understanding of the social and cultural dynamics at play. Blessing La Política: The Latino Religious Experience and Political Engagement in the United States presents a corrective challenge to the authoritative conclusion by the book Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics that Latinos are less likely to become involved in politics because of the predominant Catholic beliefs of this demographic. Through comprehensive analysis of the political tendencies of Latinos and Latinas of faith, the findings in this work consistently counterpoint those conclusions from a variety of perspectives and methodologies. The research presented in the book comprises surveys that are national in scope—both of elites, and at the mass level—as well as localized in cities. The authors have also collected ethnographies that are localized in U.S. cities and transnational in nature. The result is both a broad view of Latino politics and religion, and detailed information that provides far more context that is possible in national-level quantitative studies.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo Part I: Theoretical and Historical Issues 2 The Political Persuasions of Latino Faith Communities Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo Part II: Community Perspectives 3 Latinos, Religion, and Political Participation in New York City Carlos Vargas-Ramos 4 Transnational Religious and Sociopolitical Dynamics of a Racialized Puerto Rican Community in Connecticut Samiri Hernández Hiraldo 5 "It's a Calling to Get Involved?…" The Catholic Charismatic Movement and Civic Engagement among Mexican Immigrants G. Cristina Mora Part III: 2004 Elections 6 Standing Up for Social Justice: Catholic Voting Patterns and the Latino Effect in the 2004 Presidential Election Frank Ridzi, Matthew T. Loveland, and Jillian Ruhland 7 Epilogue: The Growing Influence of the Latino Catholic Vote Mark M. Gray Afterword: Suggestions for Further Reading on Latinos and Religion Excursus: A Layperson's Guide to Research on Hispanics/Latinos Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo Bibliography About the Editors and Contributors Index

About the Author :
Carlos Vargas-Ramos is research associate at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at the City University of New York, Hunter College. Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo is professor emeritus of Puerto Rican and Latino studies at the City University of New York, Brooklyn College.