Centro Journal ISSN: 1538-6279 [email protected] The City University of New York Estados Unidos

Pantoja, Segundo Reseña de "Latinos and the New Immigrant Church" de David Badillo Centro Journal, vol. XIX, núm. 1, 2007, pp. 409-412 The City University of New York New York, Estados Unidos

Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=37719127

How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative BOOK REVIEW The evidence of more than a century’s international human rights norms must international asbe considered an indispensable the concerning element in the discourse treatment of Latino/a residents, migrants is a point It and citizens in this country. and an avenue for excellent well taken discussion in any classroom. and Midwest, the Southwest moved to Ricans asPuerto New they moved to as and the Cubans they moved to York, a acquired Miami. Latino Catholicism different flavor in each locale depending principallyon several factors, the timing and the history the up to leading of the various immigrant incorporation Thus, one learns about the groups. Antonio historically significant role of San as the nucleus of Latino Catholicism, whose initiatives have include expanded to is York New the entire nation; Catholic New by the strong links between marked after Rico and Puerto archdiocese York’s is shaped by the context 1898; and Miami’s Badillo Revolution. of the Cuban aftermath also documents the impact on Catholicism from stemming the fluid of practices and mobility of newcommunication exchanges of immigrants. Transnational in the Catholicism ideas and goods make at America’s; Latin more like States United in Latin the same time, Catholicism The influences. America absorbs U.S. is one Movement Charismatic Renewal by the author. example among several cited in the worth of Latino Catholicism the demonstrates States United dedication of religious men and women needs. spiritual and material Hispanics’ to Throughout the country and over time, [ 409 ] The City University of New York—Borough of York—Borough of New The City University Segundo Pantoja, Segundo Pantoja, : Badillo analyzes the relationship of Latinos and the New Immigrant Church Latinos and the New Immigrant By David Badillo 2006 Press, University Hopkins The Johns Baltimore: 275 pp; $22.95 [paper] REVIEWER Manhattan Community College Community Manhattan The introductory reader interested The introductory reader interested in understanding the background to roots and their Latinos’ Catholic ramifications until the present will narrative benefit from David Badillo’s illustrations of how and concrete have part Hispanics become and parcel States. in the United of Catholicism travels as far back as medievalHe Spain the main features of and traces the transplantation to Catholicism’s are developed The chapters World. New chronologically the reader to and guide issues regarding Latinos’ present-day The Church. the Catholic relations to and background on antecedents evolution is essential in understanding some of the reasons why Latino and haveAnglo Catholicism areas of can appreciate Readers incompatibility. American religiosity has that Latin context, the U.S. considerably to adapted There without being totally assimilated. are things that change with time, but involvement Lay others seem unalterable. the in parish administration illustrates and the overriding of centrality former, proves Mary and devotion the latter. to the institutional various nationalities to examines these interactions church. He as of happened in their countries they as they origin and follows Mexicans communities, and language communities, minorities in there is also a section on the U.S.; capital punishment. But the significant role Latino/as have played in developing shifting language policies in this country merits more analysis gives. than this text has point: made his Still, Morín BookREVIEWS(v6).qxd 6/3/07 4:16 PM Page 409 BookREVIEWS(v6).qxd BookREVIEWS(v6).qxd 6/3/07 4:17 PM Page 410

male and female religious orders, such as coordinated at the regional and national the Claretians and Redemptorists, as well levels. Interdiocesan efforts resulted in as diocesan clergy, have made efforts to the opening of infant and maternity tend to Latinos in cities and rural areas. clinics, orphanages, daycare centers, The lessons from the interactions and schools. Archbishop Lucey between the Catholic Church and implemented an initiative to accompany Latinos reveal patterns of long-delayed migrant workers by bringing “Bracero acceptance and halfway assimilation. priests,” mostly from Guadalajara during Latinos’ spheres of action have been peak migration under the Bracero restricted to the parish level and the program. He also placed in the archdiocese home. Opportunities for leadership have the Missionary Catechists of Divine lagged behind the potential indicated by Providence, a Mexican American female their numbers. Where Latinos have religious order, to strengthen the become protagonists, it has been mostly spiritual care of his folk. Lucey strongly by default (through demographic change encouraged diocesan priests to learn or what the author calls “residential Spanish, and after 1961 made Spanish succession”), not because of the Church’s fluency mandatory for every associate solicitation; they become local decision pastor. The struggle against racial makers as they fill the empty pews, as it segregation and for adequate housing were. The historical record shows that occupied also the attention of the church personnel’s praxis among archbishop. Hispanics has contrasted with and Regarding New York’s Cardinal countered the rejection evidenced by a Spellman, we learn that his tenure few clergy and many lay Anglo brethren. coincided roughly with the Puerto Rican Racism within the Church has run the Great Migration. The cardinal made his length of Latino history until the present. views known on a series of issues related In particular, the chapter devoted to to the Island. Among other things, he Archbishops Lucey, Spellman, and Stritch chided the Church’s hierarchy in Puerto demonstrates the positive roles played by Rico for their condemnation of the these leaders, who were at the helm Popular Democratic Party on the during periods of rapid Hispanic growth government’s birth control policies. and dramatic church transitions (from The cardinal also favored statehood for the 1940s to the 1960s). Lucey in San Puerto Rico over the independence and Antonio, Spellman in New York, and commonwealth options. Although Stritch in Chicago adopted “innovative Spellman preferred that Puerto Ricans approaches to ethnic change [and] integrated into the territorial parishes, recognized that the key to regenerating he supported initiatives to make church parish structures for the future benefit of personnel sensitive to the needs of Puerto the Church lay in successfully managing Ricans living in the archdiocese. Cardinal the entry of Latino immigrants” (66). Spellman sponsored the annual celebration Badillo describes, for example, how of the Puerto Ricans’ patron saint. Archbishop Lucey was committed to Starting in 1953, the feast of St. John the serving Mexican Americans during his Baptist became a rallying event for Puerto entire tenure from 1941 to 1969. Ricans and other Latinos. Furthermore, He helped establish the Bishops’ during the 1960s, hundreds of priests, Committee for the Spanish Speaking in religious participants, and laypeople received 1945 and served as his executive chair for language and cultural training in Ponce’s over 20 years. Through such committee, Institute of Intercultural Communication, the Church’s work for social justice was which was created under his aegis.

[ 410 ] BOOK REVIEW Latinos is ambitious in its , eds. J.P. Dolan and G. , eds. J.P. Latinos and the New and “The Catholic Church and “The Catholic Church Mexican Americans and the Catholic Americans Mexican As reflected in the above-mentioned As reflected The author makes incursions from The author makes Badillo’s upon themselves the responsibility of upon themselves the Ricans on a host advocating for Puerto of social and political issues. figures, on the three episcopal chapter to is devoted work the bulk of Badillo’s “the big three” national-origin Latino Puerto subgroups, namely the Mexicans, Badillo However, Ricans, and Cubans. with havingmust be credited made an a in the last include effort chapter to American discussion of the Latin the immigrant groups arriving since of 1965. Act and Nationality Immigration are dealing with Mexicans The chapters The among the best in this collection. is focused and flows narrative historical The author weaves deftly the smoothly. of actions, decisions, and consequences individual and institutional actors. Badillo evinces here an expertise that his previous on work much to owes such as in the Midwest, Mexicans in Michigan and the making of Mexican-American in the Midwest” parish communities (In 1900–1965 Church, Hinojosa, 1994). Hinojosa, Latinos’ relationships time into time to with non-Catholicand practices institutions, but such descriptions and discussions are mostly compare to and contrast theme, with the main arguments One of Badillo’s Catholicism. is that many initiatives of the Church toward Catholic Institutional Latinos have the in response to been from or real competition perceived particularly evangelicals Protestants, operating from and Pentecostals storefront by pastors churches led with Latinos’ languageconversant and culture; a decisive advantage as their share of the they inch toward religious market. Immigrant Immigrant [ 411 ] From Badillo’s narrative it can be narrative Badillo’s From concluded that Cardinal Stritch presided that Cardinal concluded over a tumultuous period in Chicago. II, Mexican War World During and after Americans moved in increasing numbers A the archdiocese. into short while later, arrive too. to Ricans started Puerto Simultaneous with those inflows was the Americans, all of African migration of an explosive racial which created of the environment in Chicago. Much into time and energy went cardinal’s racial trying the tense mitigate to relations, particularly the defensive their and Catholics allianceof white encroachment priests, who resisted their parishes and into by non-whites Stritch had neighborhoods. Cardinal and was familiar with the Texas visited Americans. of Mexican poor conditions in the founding had also participated He for the of the Bishops’ Committee When Stritch became Spanish Speaking. cardinal of Chicago in 1939, he supported that the Spanish Claretian order the work among Mexican had been conducting as Ricans began Puerto Americans. Later, arriving in Chicago, the Stritch created for the Spanish Committee Cardinal’s and resources focus attention Speaking to The cardinal did not pursue a on them. policy of creating national parishes for Ricans, in partPuerto because of their dispersion throughout the city and in part because of their small numbers. rather their integration promoted He parishes. Stritch existing territorial into learn priests to did not send his diocesan in 1954 the However, Spanish either. cardinal encouraged the organization of Ricans in the Caballeros de San Puerto JuanThese clubs multiplied in the clubs. ensuing years and became hubs of Ricans so that Puerto cultural activity, principallyparticipated in an annual parade, and in recreational and social Among the thousands of events. members served by the clubs, there leaders that took emerged community BookREVIEWS(v6).qxd 6/3/07 4:17 PM Page 411 BookREVIEWS(v6).qxd BookREVIEWS(v6).qxd 6/3/07 4:17 PM Page 412

scope. This collection of essays covers a work, for he draws from a wide range of vast amount of historical ground. scholarship on Latinos, from However, Badillo also draws from other immigration to urban to cultural studies. social science disciplines in his attempt The reader familiar with the social to present a comprehensive account of histories of Puerto Ricans and Cubans the Latino Catholic religious experience. might find some passages redundant, These two dimensions make the book a but overall, there are advantages to valuable reference and introductory having these histories in a single volume.

José Antonio Torres Martino: Voz de varios registros Colaboradores, José Torres Martino, Margarita Fernández-Zavala, Silvia Álvarez Curbelo San Juan: La Editorial, Universidad de Puerto Rico / Casa Candina, 2006 292 pp.; $49.50 [cloth] REVIEWER: Francisco Cabanillas, Bowling Green State University

Pero la duda acechante se ha alimentado siempre del interés que pongo en diversos aspectos de la vida de mi país y del mundo; una característica que, guardando las distancias, podría caracterizarse como leonardesca. —José Antonio Torres Martino

Más bien un libro de formato grande y no aparece nombre de autor, sino el título tapa dura, en un mate funcional, como si del texto. En la contraportada, al lado se tratara de un libro de texto, éste que superior izquierdo, una franja vertical La Editorial, Universidad de Puerto Rico parece privilegiar el fragmento más titula José Antonio Torres Martino: Voz de antropomórfico de Formas abstractas, varios registros (2006), atrae desde esa como si desde ese detalle pictórico nos misma materialidad por tres razones. estuviera mirando la cara de un arquetipo Primero, porque se trata de un libro en humano. Tres fotografías de Torres cuya portada domina, de la mitad para Martino, una, la primera, en el pináculo, arriba, una propuesta pictórica y las dos restantes en la base, triangulan geométrica, en vez de realista: un al sujeto en tres espacios y tiempos fragmento de Formas abstractas (1968), complementarios. En la base, el tiempo y cuadro en el que Torres Martino, desde el espacio del orador (tanto como locutor un cromatismo protagónico, planteaba o como líder sindical) y el del artista cierta circularidad concéntrica, mitad en gráfico (el pintor que hizo carteles y rojo y la otra mitad en verde y azul, murales); en el pináculo, el tiempo más irradiada por cuatro rayos que segmentan importante del sujeto: el ahora dinámico la composición y por eso también los del nonagenario (1916) que se mantiene colores. Segundo, porque desde el dando la batalla cultural de siempre. recuadro anaranjado al centro de la Dividido en tres narrativas principales portada, se plantea un orden de —historia, memoria/testimonio, arte—el colaboradores (Torres Martino, libro contiene además un prólogo de Fernández Zavala, Álvarez Cubelo) que Mario E. Roche Morales, una cronología en nada corresponde al que sigue el libro ilustrada de Dessie Martínez y un (Álvarez Curbelo, Torres Martino, Dessie apéndice con dos dimensiones, una Martínez, Fernández Zavala). Tercero, bibliográfica (de y sobre Torres Martino) porque se trata de un libro en cuyo lomo y otra documental (fotocopias de varios

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