Latino religiosity in Utah is still perceived as a mystery, as something that can't be comprehended, and consequently, the Anglo-American imagination tries to resolve our spiritual dimensions by making us subhumans, demonizing us simply by ignoring our spiritual manifestations. As Latinos we are a mestizo people. We are an amalgamation of indigenous, African, Spanish, European and Asian elements. Our culture and religiosity are shaped by pre-Columbian religious beliefs, by the colonization and evangelization of the Spaniards and by the idiosyncrasies of the American religious beliefs heavily influenced by Protestantism and the ethics of capitalism.
However, Catholicism profoundly shapes the background of our religiosity, to such an extent that is difficult to differentiate the intricate connection between culture and religion. Even our daily language reflects this tendency. When we say ¡Adios! (Go with God. God be with you), we are not just saying "goodbye," we are entrusting the other person to God's care, we are wishing God to accompany people in their journey. Our religion and spirituality are more than a way of thinking, they are a way of living. Unfortunately, it is often invisible to other people and cultures.
Our historical religious background makes us to be twice "foreigners" in Utah and in the U.S.; foreigners in the sense that the majority of Latinos are Catholics living in a predominantly Protestant nation, and even "foreigners" within our own churches whose cultural antecedents are Anglo-Saxons, Irish, Italians, Greeks, German, etc. This situation brings Latinos to adopt a proactive role and to create their own religious organizations.
This was the case with Latinos who built the first Catholic church in San Juan County, the first LDS ward in Salt Lake City and other long-standing organizations such as the Guadalupe Church and at least 10 Evangelical churches within the state. Nonetheless, the impact of their religiosity is still to be felt. It is predicted that by the year 2030, 54 percent of all LDS Church members in the world are going to be Latinos, and the most numerous Catholic congregations are going to be in Mexico and South America.
Recent immigration of Latinos to Utah has brought forward the deep spiritual dimension of their beliefs. A good number of LDS Latinos come to Utah to live closer to their prophet. Catholic Mexican immigrants understand that Our Lady of Guadalupe came also with them and stamped her image in the tree at 300 E. 700 South, Salt Lake City. Evangelical Latinos see in their communities the presence of God and the necessity to share their resources with families and relatives who stayed behind in their countries.
Even the process of immigrating to the United States is perceived by Mexican Catholics as an action embedded with religious meaning.A Mexican immigrant put it this way: "When I left my country, God was with me. During my journey, God was always to my side. And when I arrived to the U.S., God was waiting for me."
For Latinos, God is persistently present and loyal to his covenant of being always with us. And while undocumented Latinos have been humiliated and segregated by their illegal status, their spirituality still becomes alive in the streets of Utah and in their actions. When the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks took place, many undocumented Latinos were in line to donate their blood for victims. The same generosity was expressed when they got together to send water and supplies to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Latino spirituality is practiced in different ways but at its center is the tradition of popular religiosity and a strong concern for family values and social justice. Latino spirituality is an integral part of our humanity. Like everybody else, Latinos are sojourners who look to transcend our fragile humanity and to express our true nature in spiritual endeavors.
For now, however, Latino spirituality calls for its recognition and for the humanization of our experiences in Utah and across the U.S. These full realizations of our religious experience can only happen in the context of freedom, truth, justice and the celebration of life.
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Armando Solórzano is an associate professor of family and consumer studies and ethnic studies at the University of Utah. He is the author of "At the Gates of the Kingdom: Latino Immigrants in Utah, 1900 to 2003," a chapter featured in Beyond the Gateway: Immigrants in a Changing America, released in 2005.
FAITH
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