Ethno-Catholism

Treviño, Roberto R. The Church in the Barrio Mexican American ethno-Catholicism in Houston. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006. In the book, The Church in the Barrio Mexican American ethno-Catholicism in Houston, Roberto R. Treviño begins by discussing his past growing up in a catholic culture along with being a minority. Treviño discusses how U.S. catholic culture is automatically assumed to be Mexican Americans and the Mexicans are mostly focused on the faith tradition. Throughout the book, it informs readers about Etho-Catholism which is referred to a group of Mexican Americans that have a common religious background. First, Treviño explains in the beginning that the Spanish and Mexican Catholics created a etho-catholic idea for their everyday lives which helped the people during harsh times. Etho-Catholism contained practices by the Old World Spanish Christians and the …show more content…
The Mexican community had their own self-traditions and to help people of poverty in the Barrios. Gradually, people of the Mexican community began to see the church’s social ministry expand with nuns, priests, and other compassionates. In the mid-1960s, the social ministry of the Catholic Church did not want to be a part of the chicano movement in Houston. The Catholic Church saw that it was better to keep peace and not get involved with politics, but it was also hard to try to keep the equality. Treviño concludes that the Church in the Barrio of etho-catholism was a way of life for Mexican Americans. Etho-catholism helped people understand the preservice of the relationship between Catholicism and Mexican Americans. It demonstrates how religion has influenced their lives through coping and a sense of ethnic identity. Roberto R. Treviño intended this book for undergraduate students that are taking courses in Texas history and Mexican American