Mexican Americans Catholic Church - (Notre Dame History of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S.) by Jay P Dolan & Gilberto Hinojosa (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

With Mexican Americans composing one of the nation's largest minority groups, this book examines the legacy and future of these communities and the Catholic Church.

Mexican Americans have a long legacy within the Catholic Church. While not always accepted by the Church, these communities developed rich spiritual traditions that are both deeply Catholic and unique to the people that practice them. In Mexican Americans and the Catholic Church, 1900-1965, three historians examine the religious history of the Church, focusing on Mexican American faith communities. Jay P. Dolan and Gilberto Hinojosa consider modern challenges in the context of the history of Mexican American Catholics across the country. Between Americanization and assimilation, alongside the failings and as well as success of the Catholic church in ministering to Mexican Americans, this book is a record of the resilience and devotion of these communities over sixty years.

Review Quotes

"[This] is an excellent book for anyone who desires to understand the struggles of the Catholic Church in building bridges from a Euro-American culture to a Hispanic culture. . . . a major resource for anyone who desires to know more about how to appreciate another culture and how to build bridges to that culture." --Missiology

"Few historians have studied Mexican-American Catholicism, though many have suggested its importance in Chicano history. Mexian Americans and the Catholic Church is a pioneering effort that begins to redress this long-standing neglect through three essays focused on Texas and the Southwest, California, and the Midwest. . . . In beginning to identify the contours of Mexican-American Catholic history, these essays provide much to contemplate and pursue for those seeking a fuller understanding of Chicano history and the importance of religion in the American experience. . . . An invaluable and long overdue book." --Western Historical Society

About the Author

Jay P. Dolan is professor emeritus of history at the University of Notre Dame, where he founded the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism. He is the author of several books, including The American Catholic Experience: A History from Colonial Times to the Present.

Gilberto Hinojosa was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, attended public schools, and was the first in his family to graduate from college. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Returning to Texas, he became the managing attorney for the Brownsville office of Texas Rural Legal Aid. Governor Ann Richards appointed Gilberto to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, overseeing the Texas prison and parole system. He has served his fellow Texans as a county, district court, and court of appeals judge in both appointed and elected capacities. Gilberto is currently in private practice in Brownsville. Since 2012, Gilberto has served as the chair of the Texas Democratic Party.