Father Luis Olivares, a Biography - by Mario T García (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This is the amazing untold story of the Los Angeles sanctuary movement's champion, Father Luis Olivares (1934-1993), a Catholic priest and a charismatic, faith-driven leader for social justice. Beginning in 1980 and continuing for most of the decade, hundreds of thousands of Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees made the hazardous journey to the United States, seeking asylum from political repression and violence in their home states. Instead of being welcomed by the "country of immigrants," they were rebuffed by the Reagan administration, which supported the governments from which they fled. To counter this policy, a powerful sanctuary movement rose up to provide safe havens in churches and synagogues for thousands of Central American refugees.

Based on previously unexplored archives and over ninety oral histories, this compelling biography traces the life of a complex and constantly evolving individual, from Olivares's humble beginnings in San Antonio, Texas, to his close friendship with legendary civil rights leader César Chávez and his historic leadership of the United Neighborhoods Organization and the sanctuary movement.

Review Quotes

"Like any good biography, Father Luis Olivares teaches us not only about the personality of an individual but also demonstrates how a life is woven into a wider tapestry of history and community. . . . A fascinating story."--American Catholic Studies

"Professor García brings us the inspiring story of a liberationist priest who established a sanctuary for the unwanted in the 1980s, a light to shine on the traumatic times we live in today."--Rubén Martí-nez, Loyola Marymount University

About the Author

Mario T. García is distinguished professor of Chicana and Chicano studies and history at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of The Latino Generation: Voices of the New America.