Mexican American Religions: Spirituality, Activism, and Culture

Abstract

Gastón Espinosa and Mario García have provided a much-needed compilation of essays from a fortunately growing bibliography. For too long academics have neglected the seminal topic of religion among Mexican Americans; as a consequence, generalists have had little access to effective materials to enliven as well as enlighten their classes. This new volume moves us in a more productive direction by furnishing a usable, broadly-founded, and accessible scholarly collection. Ranging from an incisive analysis of the patterns of Hispanic religion to a pop-culture portrayal of “Santa Selena,” the work touches a number of important bases which should expand its usefulness. Upon opening a book of this genre, the reader may often (and appropriately) give in to the temptation to pass over the introduction and move quickly into the meat of the matter. But Espinosa and García have provided an exceptionally useful beginning essay that should not be ignored. While furnishing a general guide to the material following, it moves beyond this by providing “new generations of scholars” (p. 12) with possible avenues of investigation, including graduate students searching for possible thesis topics. At the same time the editors draw attention to a number of pivotal matters within their expansive purview, such as pointing out the unfortunate and certainly unacademic manner in which most scholars have ignored the spiritual content of the work of César Chávez. Their approach to the “unique religious expressions that have been shaped by the Mexican American experience” (p. 4) should prompt readers to examine further this essential sector of this distinctive culture. In pointing readers to the “unexpected places” where important insights into the Mexican American religious may be found, the editors provide not only a direction but also a guide.