Latinos and Religious Freedom

By Hunter Avilio Thomas

April 15th, 2020

Introduction

I’ve always been aware of two things in my life: my religious affiliation and my ethnicity. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Hispanic has given me the lens through which I see the world. Growing up in New Mexico, I was surrounded by people who had Spanish heritage and were predominantly Catholic; I was in the ethnic majority and a religious minority. When I moved to Utah for school, I was suddenly in the religious majority but also in the ethnic minority. Another experience that impacted me was living in Oaxaca Mexico for two years. I was no longer surrounded by Latinos in the United States, but Mexicans who viewed religion differently than I had experienced. Growing up, my mom would always tell us her conversion story to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how it was growing up in the Catholic Church. She wasn’t very devout, but she remembers going to mass and seeing the graphic paintings of Jesus on the cross. Living in Mexico taught me that religion can sometimes be more about culture than anything else. All of these experiences and assumptions all come to a head.

Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States. Some measures say that by the year 2045, nearly a third of Americans will be of Latin American heritage (Brookings, 2018). Latinos also have a long tradition of being socially conservative due to some part of their Catholic heritage. To many political pundits and strategists, a candidate who is relatively socially conservative will win over Latino voters. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama (when he opposed same-sex marriage) won over many Latino voters due to their socially conservative stances. But Latinos aren’t a monolithic group. Mexicans have a very different culture from Chileans or Puerto Ricans. The same is seen with religious ideology. Most Latinos are Catholic due to a long history of Spanish colonization of the Americas. Most Latinos come from a predominant Christian theology and are mainly Catholic. More specifically, 77% of Latinos who live in the United States come from a Christian theological background. 48% of Latinos in the U.S. are Catholic, 19% are Evangelical, 5% are Protestant, 2% are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the rest are from another Christian denomination (Pew Research Center).

In 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized across the country. Abortion laws in some states have become increasingly either relaxed or strengthened. Because of the ongoing culture war in the U.S. and the rapid growth of Latinos in the United States, I was curious to see how Latinos view religious freedom. As previously mentioned, the majority of Latinos are Catholic and believe in Christian theology. Many of them reject legalized abortion and same-sex marriage. I wanted to see if their religious affiliation and hot button social issues were correlated with how they viewed religious freedom. Is motivation for an increase of religious freedom due to culture, religious ideology, or something else?

From my research, I concluded that Latinos care deeply about their religious beliefs. They also care about social issues that affect society and in areas where they may feel oppressed. However, they do not care much about religious freedom and if they do, it is based on their religion and religious commitment. Quite simply, Latinos don’t see religious freedom as an urgent issue. Latinos sometimes cite their culture as the basis of their viewpoint on religious freedom, but religious ideology, religious commitment, and personal experience are even greater factors that mold their viewpoint of religious freedom.

Qualitative Analysis

The early and mid-1900s were a transformational period for the United States. The U.S. saw a huge influx of European immigrants due to World War II. At the time, the country was predominantly conservative: couples were having lots of children, changes in the economy allowed for the middle class to grow, and institutions such as marriage and religion were central to American society. These institutions were not just central to American society but for many nations as well. It wasn’t until the 1950s where the U.S. saw another influx of immigrants, but this time from Latin America (Stevens-Arroyo, 1998). Latino culture and identity continued to support these institutions in the United States. Like the rest of the county, Latinos were predominantly conservative. It wasn’t until the 1960s were the United States saw another transformational change due to the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. As part of my research, I analyzed a 1960s study of Non-Hispanics, (including Caucasian, African Americans, Asian-American, & Native Americans) first-generation Mexican immigrants, and other Latinos residing in the United States. When asked if they would consult God in an important decision, 70% of Non-Hispanics said they consulted God. 90% of Mexicans who lived in urban and rural areas reported that they consulted God in a decision, and 91% of other Latinos living in the U.S. reported that they did the same (Loomis and Samora, 1965). A majority of Mexicans and other Latinos both reported that they always consulted God when it came to an important decision, while only 18% of Americans reported that they did so (Loomis and Samora, 1965). Although this study was conducted back in the 1960s, and some Latinos have become more secular, patterns of this same religious behavior is likely found in their respective ethnicities today. A more recent survey shows that in the U.S., more Latinos oppose abortion than non-Hispanics do (Pew Research Center, 2019). Overall, this shows a pattern, Latinos generally have a religious tradition that has influenced how they view God and his role in society today.

From a recent study, Latinos who were asked how much religion was important to them, whether Catholic or Protestant, a majority said that religion was very important (Pew Research Center). Religion is also important to Latinos and their identity. 58% of Latinos pray daily and 59% have an absolute certainty that God exists (Pew Research Center). Other statistics show that 75% of Latinos believe in heaven, 38% read the scriptures daily, and 39% attend church weekly (Pew Research Center). It is important to note that Latinos may not be very committed to scripture reading or attending church. I also gathered research on Latinos’ opinions on other hot topics such as abortion legalization, same-sex marriage, cohabitation, divorce, and casual sex (Ellison, 2013). The evidence was clear. Latinos who were more religiously committed, such as going to church frequently or scripture reading, were more likely to be more socially conservative. Take abortion as an example. In the study conducted by a group of professors at the University of Texas, Protestant Latinos were most likely to be against abortion legalization while Catholics were least likely to be against it (Bartowski, 2012). Other Christian denominations such as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were right in the middle of these two groups. This translates to Protestant Latinos who attend church frequently are more extreme in their pro-life stance while mainstream Catholic Latinos are not as extreme. The only factor that shifted a Catholic Latino to move towards their Protestant counterparts was religious commitment such as going to church services frequently. An interesting observation was that a Catholic Latino who attends church services frequently; was more likely to be against abortion legalization than a Catholic who doesn’t attend church services frequently (Bartkowski, 2012). Another example is same-sex marriage, it is reported that 49% of U.S. Hispanics that are Catholic agree with same-sex marriage compared to 25% of U.S. Hispanic Protestants (Pew Research Center, 2014). There are obvious divides among religious ideologies when it comes to hot button social issues like the legalization of abortion and same-sex marriage.

The same thing was seen with other social issues such as divorce or casual sex (Ellison, 2011). Protestant Latinos were more socially conservative when it came to these social issues than Catholics. Again, Catholics who attend church frequently were closer to Protestant Latinos. However, Catholics are wary when it comes to religious commitment. This is because many Catholics are tied to Catholicism due to a long tradition within their family. Catholicism is often seen as a cultural norm. The lack of personal religious attachment is related to some Catholic Latinos’ picking and choosing what they hear and follow when attending mass. They may not agree and accept what their priest claims when it comes to an issue like abortion since they are not completely personally tied to their religion. Their political views are not of the same position of the Catholic Church. On the contrary, more Protestants take their religion very seriously. They often see the Bible as a literal document and view their pastor as someone who speaks the mind of God (Bartkowski, 2012). Protestants tend to be service-oriented, and rather than attending instead church services only twice per year for Easter and Christmas, they are more likely to do their best to live what they hear and read (Bartkowski, 2012).

On the other hand, Latinos have varying opinions based on generation, country of origin, experience, political ideology, and culture. One of the dividing factors among Latinos are generational differences. For example, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden were running to be the 2020 Democratic nominee, but Bernie Sanders recently dropped out. While President Trump is currently polling with Latinos higher than originally thought, 70% or more of the Latino vote will likely go to the Democratic nominee. Younger Latinos found Bernie Sanders a more attractive and viable candidate than Joe Biden. Sanders is a son of an immigrant and is a bold progressive who promises institutional changes such as free public education and healthcare. This message resonates with Latino voters, especially younger ones who have seen the effects of living in low-income, often urban areas where their parents struggle with finances. This is the immigrant story. To younger Latinos, Sanders is promising a better future to Americans compared to the reality that was available to younger Latinos and their families. Young Latinos tend to be more educated and learn English at higher rates than their parents. On the other hand, older Latinos see Joe Biden as a more viable candidate because of his decency and civility. To get one thing straight, older Latinos aren’t very politically ideological when compared to their children. Their children who have lived in the U.S. are forced to take a political position, whereas in Latin American nations, most people are apathetic to political parties. Joe Biden is practical and good enough to bring the change older Latinos want (New York Times, 2020). Issues that most older Latinos are concerned about are education, affordable healthcare, and helping small businesses grow. Older Latino voters are not looking for someone to tear the system down, they simply want more affordable education or health coverage. What you are seeing is a battle between experiences and ideology.

The same generational breakdown is apparent with religion. Younger Latinos will have to decide if they want to continue the religious traditions they were taught in their respective homes. Many religious scholars within the Evangelical community are seeing how generational differences are changing Evangelicalism. Many young Latinos who continue to be religious are becoming more socially moderate and fiscally progressive. This translates to how they worship and what issues are most important to them. As Samuel Rodriguez stated in the journal article called “The Latino Transformation of American Evangelicalism,” this generation of younger Latinos are creating a religious tone similar to that of Billy Graham and Martin Luther King Jr. In my opinion, Rodriguez hit the nail right on the head (Rodriguez, 2008). Younger Latinos are keeping the pro-life movement alive in Evangelicalism but are also putting issues such as poverty and healthcare as top priorities and often in the same category of protecting the unborn. The same is seen with same-sex marriage. While younger Latino Evangelicals believe in traditional marriage, they wish to end homophobia and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. Many Evangelical Latinos want to base the immigration debate not on what Rush Limbaugh is saying, but what is said in the Bible (Rodriguez, 2008). Younger Latinos support fair immigration policy and wish to stop criminals from entering the country. They are also aware that their parents or ancestors that immigrated to the United States are human beings and should not be demonized. The Bible teaches us is to love one another regardless of who you are. In short terms, young Evangelical Latinos want to bring a human element back to their religion (Rodriguez, 2008).

All of this evidence led me to evaluate what do Latinos think about religious freedom. Is religious freedom being threatened in today’s society? Is religious freedom defined as a way to justify discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community? Is religious freedom necessary? These were some of the questions I took to my peers within the Latino community here in the United States. I decided to interview eight individuals who had either grown up in or immigrated to the United States. I also interviewed individuals that did not come from a Latter-day Saint background. Those I spoke to were converts to the Church or from another religious denomination. I wanted to have a good balance of women, men, and Latinos from varying age groups. My questions were focused on three areas: religious background, social issues, and questions based on religious freedom. My interviews were either conducted in Spanish or in English, depending on the person I was interviewing. I also recorded each person so that I could quote them. I will not be using the names of those I interviewed.

Interviews

The demographics of those I interviewed were four women and four men. Of the eight I interviewed, two were Catholic and the rest came from a Christian denomination, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Three out of the eight interviewees were over the age of 30, the rest were under the age of 30. Five out of the eight respondents were immigrants to the United States, while three were born in the United States. I interviewed a diverse group of individuals expecting to hear different opinions and viewpoints. While I did hear diverse opinions, there were obvious patterns from those I interviewed.

Interview Questions

As I mentioned above, I asked three areas of questions: religious background, social issues, and questions based on religious freedom. The first area was to get to know the individual, see what they thought about important issues, and what they believed concerning religious freedom. Some of my questions were, “tell me about your experience here in the United States as a Latino,” “how often do you attend church,” and “tell me about your experience being a religious person.” I then asked each respondent if they supported abortion and same-sex marriage. I finished asking if they have felt discriminated against for expressing their religious beliefs and if they saw a need for religious freedom today.

Religious Background

Out of the eight individuals I spoke to, the majority of them were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The most interesting conversations I had were with two Catholic Latinas. One of them was a devout Catholic that went to mass every Sunday, while the other one wasn’t religious at all and considered herself Catholic because of tradition. In terms of their religious experience, what they had in common was their devotion to praying frequently. Both Catholics prayed every day and considered it essential to their worship. While their church attendance varied, and their scripture reading was both infrequent, they were proud of their religious upbringing as Catholics. The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were more committed to their religion than the Catholic individuals I interviewed. All of them went to church every Sunday and prayed to God. Scripture reading varied among the group, but they were at least studying the scriptures a few times a week. There was a clear pattern among the religious individuals, seven out of the eight went to church services every week. Six out of the eight expressed that they read the scriptures at least once a week, none of the Catholic members were among this group. Prayer was the biggest factor this religious group had in common, they all prayed frequently to God.

Social Issues

I asked all eight individuals whether they agreed or not with abortion and same-sex marriage. I decided to ask about these two issues since they are most commonly known to Latinos. Seven out of the eight individuals were against abortion, one respondent was undecided on her position. Four of the eight individuals were against same-sex marriage while two respondents agreed with it. One of the respondents was undecided on his position while another respondent was sympathetic to those who wish to marry someone of the same-sex but ultimately said he does not agree with same-sex marriage. Overall, there was more unity against abortion from those I interviewed and more division when it came to same-sex marriage.

I divided each individual’s response of the two social issues I asked about between sex, age, religion, country of origin, and immigration status. I wanted to see if there was a connection between their response and one of these demographics. Sex was the first thing I evaluated. When it came to abortion, both men and women were against abortion. There was no division among men and women when it came to this social issue. The same was seen with same-sex marriage, both men and women were either against or for same-sex marriage, there was no correlation between sex and same-sex marriage.

Age was the most consequential factor I evaluated. I had three respondents over the age of 30 that were both against abortion and same-sex marriage. The rest of the five individuals were students, under the age of 30. Only one of the young respondents was both against abortion and same-sex marriage, while the rest of the four had mixed opinions about both issues. I spoke to one individual who was against abortion but thought that same-sex couples should still marry because it was fair. She even said that same-sex couples should marry but not adopt. Another respondent said she agreed with same-sex marriage because she was considerate of her friends who were gay. Two of the other respondents had the same mixed feelings about same-sex marriage due to personal experience. One of the respondents was reluctant to answer because he ultimately didn’t know how he felt about same-sex marriage. He was worried about being inconsistent, he believed it was unfair to allow a fetus to live but not let someone marry who they love, even if they are of the same sex. I found this very interesting. I concluded that younger Latinos have had very different experiences growing up compared to older generations. Younger Latinos have been exposed to the internet, social media, economic downturns, wars, poverty, violence, among other issues. I find that the younger generation is more tolerant, sympathetic, and even willing to denounce what they have been taught religiously at a young age when it came to sensitive issues like same-sex marriage.

Comparing Catholics to members of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints was another consequential factor. It was clear that the two Catholics I interviewed have moderate views on abortion and same-sex marriage. One of the individuals believed that abortion should only be allowed depending on the situation. She was undecided on her viewpoint on abortion and believed that having unprotected sex resulting in a pregnancy versus a woman getting pregnant of no fault on her own should be taken differently. Another way to put this is she believed that abortion should be done on a case-to-case basis. She was also pro-same-sex marriage. The other Catholic was also pro-same sex marriage. On the other hand, the majority of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were against abortion and same-sex marriage. While there were a few in this group that had some mixed opinions on same-sex marriage, as a group they were pretty consistent in their viewpoints.

Finally, I evaluated both country of origin and immigration status. My initial hypothesis was that respondents that were born in the U.S. would be more moderate on abortion and same-sex marriage, compared to those who were not born in the U.S. I thought the same thing of U.S. citizens versus naturalized U.S. citizens versus international students. My hypothesis was correct, the three U.S. citizens that were born in the United States had mixed opinions about both social issues. Four of the other respondents that were originally from Mexico and one was from Colombia. Those who immigrated to the U.S. were more socially conservative than the respondents that are from the U.S.

Religious Freedom Questions

My last batch of interview questions was about religious freedom. Although my main question was if there is a need for religious freedom, I wanted to ask other pertinent questions. I asked those I interviewed whether or not they believed that President Trump was doing a good job protecting religious freedom and whether they had felt discriminated against expressing their religious beliefs. A majority of those I asked about if they had felt discriminated against told me that they hadn’t. One Catholic member who lives here in Provo Utah said she has never felt obligated to change her religion or discouraged to not express her beliefs. Another individual I asked who as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke to me about his experience as a convert to the Church. Although he has felt judged for being a member of the Church and hostility for being a Latino, he is proud of who he is. He said, “Every decision I make … may determine my destiny.” I found this very compelling that although this young man had felt judged for his religion and for being Mexican, he was going to stick up for his beliefs. I spoke to an older gentleman and his wife and they described to me how grateful they are to be a religious person in today’s day and age. They told me their experience of being baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how it has changed their lives. I was also impacted by their statement of how religion should be separate from the state. They described how the Mexican government got involved with religion which resulted in many deaths. I found this very interesting coming from an older couple.

I found three patterns among those I interviewed when it came to religious freedom: 1) religious freedom is not an urgent issue, 2) Latinos aren’t very educated about religious freedom 3) Latinos haven’t developed a firm opinion about religious freedom. Latinos believe that everyone should have the right to express themselves, religious or not. While the majority of those I interviewed found a need for religious freedom and acknowledge it as an issue, there was no sense of urgency about religious freedom from the Latinos I interviewed. The older couple I previously mentioned first said in the middle of the interview that religious freedom wasn’t very important, but when I asked them at the end of the interview, they believed that religious freedom is still necessary. This also led me to another discussion, many Latinos have an inconsistent definition of religious freedom. For example, I asked a young woman what should be done to further religious freedom and she told me that religious freedom was necessary in all of the world and not just in the United States. She proceeded to tell me that non-Muslim women in Middle Eastern countries should not be forced to wear head coverings. The older couple was more concerned with their personal experiences in Mexico and how the mix of church and state resulted in bloodshed. Another indicator that Latinos have an inconsistent definition of religious freedom was when I asked the respondents what President Trump was currently doing to protect religious freedom. All of the respondents said that they had no idea what the President has been doing to protect religious freedom.

This brings me to my last point which was mutual respect. Practically all of the respondents I interviewed mentioned that everyone should have the right to express their religious beliefs, even if they didn’t agree with those religious beliefs. One young woman told me that “religious freedom does not mean that someone can physically harm or threaten others on the basis of religious freedom.” I believe that she was referring to secular groups or the LGTBQ+ community and how religious freedom should not be used to discriminate against them. I found it interesting and impressive that Latinos are calling respect among the religious community and to be aware of those who think differently than you or may disagree with your beliefs.

Analysis

Many Latinos don’t see religious freedom as an urgent issue. One of the reasons is because Latinos often come from countries where religious diversity isn’t prominent. Catholics are the dominating force in many Latin American nations and the Catholic Church has even influenced governments. For example, 40% of Catholics live in Latin America (Pew Research Center, 2014). Compared to the United States, its founding fathers quickly proclaimed that it was never going to have an official state religion or a presumed one either. For decades, the Catholic Church was the presumed state religion in some Latin American countries. I believe that many Latinos have never been faced judgment or discriminated against for being religious. Many Latin American nations come from a deep religious tradition. Statistics give clear evidence that Latinos overwhelmingly believe that God exists and that there is a heaven (Pew Research Center). Religion in the past and present have been essential to Latin American societies. The Pope often visits Latin American nations, where thousands of people gather to listen to him and even try to receive a hug from him. I would also add that many Latinos happen to be immigrants to the United States. Their main concern is not religious freedom, rather they are issues such as health care, the economy, and immigration that are more important.

I believe that the most dominating reason why Latinos don’t see religious freedom as an urgent issue is because they are often inactive in their religious circles. Many Catholics say that they are Catholic but, they are simply religiously affiliated with Catholicism. The typical Catholic probably goes to church twice a year, for Easter and Christmas mass. In fact, the Catholic Church is losing its touch with many of its members. Since the 1970s, there has been a steep decrease in membership. In 2014, it was reported that Latin Americans made up 69% of Catholic members, a 23% decrease from the 1970s (Pew Research Center, 2014). This shows that many Catholics are leaving the Church. 77% of U.S. Hispanics were raised Catholic while 55% are currently Catholic (Pew Research Center, 2014). Another example is that many Latinos who converted to another religion were previously raised Catholic. To be more specific, 47% of U.S. Hispanics that are now Protestant grew up as Catholic (Pew Research Center, 2014). Because many Latinos have grown up or identify as Catholics and are not active in the church, they don’t see a need for protecting their religious freedom. They grew up in a society and a church where their beliefs were often shared with others by religious ideology or tradition. In fact, six out of the eight people who I interviewed were either Catholic or converted from Catholicism. The two Catholics I interviewed, only one frequently attended mass and both hardly read the scriptures.

From my qualitative analysis, I concluded that religious ideology, religious commitment, and personal experience influence how Latinos view religious freedom. From my interviews, I confirmed the same thing. Although many Latinos don’t find religious freedom as an urgent issue, I found that among religious ideology this was different. Take members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints versus the Catholics from my interviews. Both of the Catholic Latinos I interviewed were aware of religious freedom but had not much to say about it when I asked. In fact, for both of them, I had to give a definition of religious freedom. When I interviewed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there were fewer times that I had to define religious freedom and from my perspective, those of the LDS faith seemed to have a more developed opinion of religious freedom. From my interview, I believe that Latinos who are in the religious minority know more about religious freedom because they are faced with more questions when it comes to their beliefs. Catholics are a religious majority and have never faced much backlash for their beliefs. I also believe that Catholics tend to have less of a religious conviction. The top reason why Protestants converted from Catholicism was because that they were seeking a better connection to God. Other top reasons Protestants left Catholicism was because they enjoyed their new worship services and “wanted [a] greater emphasis on mortality” (Pew Research Center, 2014). In other words, Catholics often stay Catholic due to tradition and not because of conviction. I would call this the conversion effect. Protestants, Evangelicals, and especially members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tend to be more converted compared to Catholics. Once you are more converted to religious beliefs, the more you are willing to defend them against those that find them strange or unique. The older couple I mentioned in my interview section kept on repeating how grateful they were to find the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how much they know it’s the true church. They said the most important thing to them was standing up for their religious beliefs. I saw this same thing with social issues. The Catholics I interviewed were the least socially conservative compared to the rest of my interview group. Religious ideology influenced opinions on social issues.

Religious commitment was another factor in how Latinos view religious freedom. From my interviews, I found that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all went to church regularly, prayed frequently, and at least read the scriptures multiple times a week if not every day. With the Catholics I interviewed, the pattern I saw was that none of them engaged in scripture reading regularly. I mentioned this in my qualitative analysis, many Protestants engage in scripture reading more and were found to be more socially conservative than Catholics. I also see the connection with scripture reading and religious freedom. Fewer Catholics in my survey knew about religious freedom compared to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Religious commitment or religious intensity I believe is a key factor in how someone views religious freedom. This is not just with scripture reading, I am using a pattern seen from my survey. In other surveys, many Catholics attend church services less frequently than other religious groups. Many religious people receive education from their church and especially from scripture reading. To many people, due to their religious commitment, they view their religion as a lifestyle and not something they simply proclaim. Catholics do not see their religion as a lifestyle but rather as a tradition. Many Catholics are often skeptical of their religious leaders due to their complicated history. This complicated history includes the recent scandal within the Catholic Church, of priests who molested young boys and the decades of church services conducted in Latin with no translation of the Bible from Latin. In fact, the rebellion against Catholicism was due to the “eliteness” of Catholicism which resulted in the Protestant reformation, which was trying to push the Church to translate the Bible into languages other than Latin.

Personal experience was one of the non-religious factors I found to explain how Latinos view religious freedom. First off, Latinos often come from immigrant families or are immigrants themselves to the United States. A lot of them never received a formal education and are looking for better opportunities here. The next generation is the one who normally breaks the chain and goes on to graduate from both high school and college. The top birth country for immigrants in the United States is Mexico, which heralds 11.2 million immigrants (Pew Research Center, 2019). 54% of foreign-born immigrants from Mexico have less than a high school education (Pew Research Center, 2019). Only 7% of foreign-born immigrants from Mexico go on to receive a bachelor’s degree or more (Pew Research Center, 2019).  This tells me that many Latinos and their lack of education especially at the higher education level will affect how they view the world. Religious freedom is not going to be high on their list of priorities. I would also mention again that Latinos aren’t a monolithic demographic like African Americans. Latinos come from over 30 countries that have different cultures, lifestyles, histories, foods, and accents. I evaluated country of origin in my interviews and found that foreign-born immigrants were more socially conservative than Latinos who were born in the United States. I believe this is because there comes with different experiences living in a Latin American nation than growing up in the U.S. Not every Latino is going have the same experience growing up. An example of this was from some of the individuals I interviewed. Many talked about how they had friends who were gay and felt sympathetic towards them. Because of their view of same-sex marriage, this influenced their view of religious freedom. Another example was the older couple that told me about how the Mexican government intervened with the Catholic Church that resulted in bloodshed. These are some of the many examples that the Latinos I interviewed talked to me about. These perspectives and experiences that they shared with me, influence their view of religious freedom. In fact, personal experience is often a stronger factor than religious commitment and religious ideology. I spoke to a young man who I will call Pablo who gave me an interesting insight when I interviewed him. He talked to me about how he was totally against same-sex marriage before serving a two-year full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon coming home from his mission and being back for a few years, his opinion on same-sex marriage was changing. This was due to the many friends he knew within the Church and outside of it that were gay and saw how difficult it was for them. Pablo, in a sense, rejected his previous notion of religious ideology that is against same-sex marriage and was leaning towards being for same-sex marriage.

Many good-intentioned people often assume that Latinos are directly affected by their culture which influences their view of religious freedom. I previously thought the same thing. From my interviews and other surveys, culture was not the strongest factor in how Latinos view religious freedom. I was thoroughly convinced by this when I spoke to a young woman who I will call Maria. She is a non-active Catholic who is studying English here in Utah. When I asked her opinion about abortion, she instantly responded that she disagreed with it. I decided to press her and ask what influenced her to think this way, her religion or her culture? Maria concluded that although culture affected her viewpoint of the world and maybe even her religion, she knew that her personal experiences affected her more than anything. I am not discounting culture as a factor, but it does not fully explain how a Latino views religious freedom. Her view on abortion and same-sex marriage, something she was in favor of, was based on her personal experience.

As I have mentioned, Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States. They will change how we worship and view religious freedom. Their opinion is valuable and should be evaluated. Immigration is the real reason why worship and religion are changing in the United States. Since the 1950s, thousands of Latinos have left their home countries and immigrated to the United States looking for better opportunities (Steven-Arroyo, 1998). They have changed the face of Catholicism in the United States. Many Catholic congregations in urban areas have been forced to adjust to their Spanish-speaking members. Mass and other church services are offered in Spanish. When many Puerto Ricans immigrated to New York, much of the clergy within the Catholic Church wasn’t Latino (Steven-Arroyo, 1998).  They had to adjust as well due to the influx of Puerto Ricans. Soon after, the Latino congregation became the leaders of the Catholic Church in New York (Steven-Arroyo, 1998). This has changed institutions within the Catholic Church in the United States. Irish Americans and Italian Americans that are often Catholic have already been surpassed by the number of Latino Catholics. The same has been seen with Latinos who are Pentecost, Evangelical, Southern Baptists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses (Steven-Arroyo, 1998). These congregations are small, and Latinos are having their influence over these congregations similarly seen within the Catholic Church in the United States (Steven-Arroyo, 1998). Latino culture and identity are changing these congregations for the better.

Not only have Catholics changed American Catholicism, they have also changed Evangelicalism as well. Latino Christians see life and poverty as both valid priorities. Within the Evangelical church, Latinos are pushing these issues to the forefront. Samuel Rodriguez, the author of “The Latino Transformation of American Evangelicalism” said, “Hispanic immigration will transform American Christianity by forging a platform of righteousness and justice, injecting the prophetic element of the Gospels, and activating a call to goodwill and love of neighbor” (Rodriguez, 2008). No doubt that Latino influence is changing congregations around the country. Their viewpoint on religious freedom is important and valuable. It will change how we defend religious freedom and how we can incorporate our Latino friends into our large and multiethnic, multicultural religious communities.

Policy Recommendations

From my research, I believe that the concept and excitement about religious freedom can be fully incorporated in the Latino community. There are three ways I suggest that can help Latinos become more aware and view religious freedom as a more urgent issue. It can be done through education, focusing on issues important to the Latino community, and taking care of the Latino community’s needs.

As previously said, many Latinos come from families or nations where education is not very prevalent or emphasized. Other needs to be met first before education. A policy recommendation I would give is for churches, nonprofits, and religious groups to sponsor education programs where the principle of religious freedom can be taught. The main thing that needs to be emphasized is why religious freedom is important. Another thing is teaching how to read and speak English. Not only will learning how to read and speak English will open up many opportunities, it will also help create natural educational methods such as reading the news or a book where religious freedom is mentioned. Many Latinos may know how to read well and speak English proficiently. Churches could refer Latinos to educational sources where they could access information not only about religious freedom but about other important and relevant topics. All of these programs could help create a culture of education within the Latino community, but nothing substitutes a formal education. Some Latinos have already gone to high school but decided that a college or university education is not for them. Churches should help Latinos see the importance of higher education and assist those who desire to go to school and who can’t afford it. For example, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers a new robust program called BYU Pathway. This is a new approach for communities that don’t have easy access to education and can take affordable college courses online. Pathway offers programs to receive an associate’s and bachelor’s degree. Other religions may offer similar programs. Knowledge is power and more access to it, especially offered by civil societies and churches would be beneficial to the Latino community and how they view religious freedom.

The Latino community is influencing congregations across the country today. It is not an if but a when, when many other congregations will be influenced as well. Catholicism in the United States was completely changed in the mid-1900s and Evangelicalism is seeing significant changes while church services are becoming more multiethnic and multicultural (Rodriguez, 2008). Latinos care deeply about culture and identity. Issues like poverty and healthcare are important to the Latino community. Protecting life and marriage is also important to Latinos. They wish to find solutions to alleviate poverty but protect the sanctity of life. Latinos don’t like the nativism that some white Evangelicals share when it comes to immigration. Latinos, especially younger Latinos, wish to see a more inclusive church that takes them as they are. Churches need to be willing to market and even shift their message to be more inclusive, especially about issues that are important to Latinos. Churches that would focus on more issues important to Latinos would then be able to open up the conversation about religious freedom. If Latinos see that churches are invested in them, they will see the urgency in protecting religion and expression of beliefs.

Many Latinos are more worried about their current situation than anything else. While the Latino community traditionally is religious and socially conservative, religious freedom is a backburner issue. As I mentioned, the economy, jobs, healthcare, and immigration are a higher priority than religious freedom. I know many Latinos who are first-generation immigrants where their main worry is paying for the bills or putting food on the table. Children of immigrants face the same issues as well, even if they have more opportunities than their parents. Primary needs to be met first before anything else. Churches could help with giving employment advice such as reviewing resumes and cover letters. Some churches have a designated a person who helps with finding employment. Other churches have specific programs, like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that offers self-sufficient programs where participants learn about creating a small business among other principles to become financially successful and independent. Many churches offer programs to help pay for food and rent to alleviate financial strain during a difficult time. What I am suggesting is to take the Latino community as they are. They are some of the hardest working, happiest, and loving communities. If their needs are met, they can focus on important issues like religious freedom. If they see churches offering help during some of their hardest moments, they will see religion as a beacon of light. In essence, that is pure religion, serving and helping one another. That will go a long way and open up doors not just for the community but also in defending religious freedom.

Conclusion

When I started this paper, I was anxious to see what I was going to learn. I am deeply interested in the Latino community not just in the United States but outside of it as well. Latinos are a fast-growing demographic that needs to be taken more seriously. Hearing what they had to say about religious freedom is a good start in how we can include this community in our homes, our neighborhoods, and churches. The Latino community is often misunderstood and misrepresented. Many people see them as foreign and so different from American culture. That is quite the opposite. They love their families and work hard just like many Americans. I hope my research has helped open up another door into the Latino community and how they can be better understood. Me being both religious and Hispanic, I am concerned about the Latino community and how it is viewed. I am even more worried about my own deeply religious beliefs. Religious freedom is the way to protect our expression of beliefs and how we worship. Even though we may be black, white, or brown, even though we may be poor or rich, we all at the end of the day share the identity that we are children of God. We need the Latino community’s voice when it comes to the issue of religious freedom. Although it may not seem as an urgent issue right now to them, it can become a more important issue as we seek to understand and help the Latino community. From my research and suggestions, I hope this can become a reality. That is my hope and aspiration, that we can be a more unified, multicultural community of believers in God, free to express and worship as we wish.

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