On November 2, 2023, the Boniuk Institute’s Religion and Public Life Program welcomed Felipe Hinojosa, a professor of history at Baylor University, to a Religious and Civic Leaders Gathering to discuss his work on Latino religious politics.
Hinojosa provided insight into the current and historic interaction between religion and politics in U.S. Latino populations, a nuanced and complex group that spans the political system and whose diversity also creates internal tension. He reflected on how Latino religious history has played an important role in the fight for social justice and advocacy against inequality.
When asked about the responses of Latino communities to the border crisis and the political divides around this issue, he responded that some of the strongest immigrant rights movements are mobilized by young people and taking place in areas like Southern Texas. Hinojosa concluded his remarks by addressing how the Latino community will be conceptualized in the future. The Latino narrative is not one of victimization but rather one of resilience, he said, and the American narrative needs to incorporate accounts presented by these marginalized groups.