for an F.S.U. course:

A brief on religion pertaining to U.S. Hispanics may easily be begun by noting that most Hispanics in the U.S. share Roman Catholicism as a faith tradition. Surveys of U.S. Hispanics find that membership in the Roman Catholic Church is an important part of many U.S. Hispanics’ self-identity.  Lands that were colonized by Spanish Roman Catholics tend to have population majorities which are Roman Catholic. The U.S.A. is an exception, as it does not have a Roman Catholic majority component of its population.  However, most Hispanics in the U.S., like the majority of Hispanics in Latin American nations, self-identify as Roman Catholic when surveyed for church affiliation or religious practices.  An estimate is that two-thirds of U.S. Hispanics are Roman Catholic and fifteen percent are evangelical Protestant.  About eight percent of Hispanics report that they are atheistic or agnostic. About one percent claim to have a non-Christian faith tradition (Pew, 2008).

U.S. Hispanics may appear to differ from persons in the dominant culture in the intensity of their religious beliefs and the extents to which they act on what they believe.  Whatever their religion, among U.S. Hispanic persons whose primary language is Spanish, three-fourths say that religion is “very important” in their daily lives, and 59% whose primary language is English say the same. These are notably greater proportions than one finds among non-Hispanic respondents (ibid).  Hispanics tell that God, their churches and their belief systems guide their lives for real and spiritual benefits.  They say that their religions are large parts of their Hispanic heritages, and that when they ‘practice’ their religions they incidentally preserve and transmit some of their cultures.

Six-tenths of primarily-Spanish-speaking Hispanics believe that Jesus will return to Earth in their lifetime, while 43% of those whose primary language is English say the same and approximately one-third of non-Hispanic Christians in the U.S. believe that.  Almost half of Hispanic Catholics — more than double the white Catholics surveyed — believe that the Holy Bible is the literal word of God (Pew, 2008).

Most U.S. Hispanics, of all faith traditions, consider God to be an active force in daily life.  Christians Hispanics in the U.S. believe that miracles happen daily, often as a result of faithful prayer to God and his saints (who are believed to intercede for them).  Eight-tenths of Christians who speak mostly Spanish believe that God will grant financial success and good health to the faithful, and half of those who speak mostly English agree.  Seven-tenths of U.S. Hispanics surveyed say that they pray daily and attend a religious service at least once per month, while four-tenths go to church weekly (ibid).

Pew Research (2008) reports that religious beliefs and practices vary among U.S. Hispanics, and especially between Catholics and Protestants. Evangelical Protestants reportedly pray in small groups, read the Bible in small groups, attend religious services, read the Holy Bible more often, and evangelize more frequently than any other Hispanics and more than most non-Hispanic Americans.

As most U.S. Hispanics are Roman Catholic or evangelical Protestant, their church affiliation, the Decalogue, religious practices, hearing of preaching, and Scripture reading affect their views of contraception and pregnancy abortion.  Researchers in Texas found that Hispanic females are less likely than other surveyed demographics to abort pregnancies (Brown, Jewell, and Rous, 2000). Bolks and colleagues found that observant Protestant and Catholic U.S. Hispanics expressed greater opposition to abortion rights than non-Hispanics (Bolks, et al, 2000).

Among unmarried persons cohabitating outside of marriage, 15 percent are without religion, 11 percent are Catholics, and seven percent are non-Catholic Christians.  Latinos who say they are separated are overwhelmingly Catholic women.  Researchers suggest this means that Latinas are more loyal to Catholic teaching against divorce and remarriage than Latino men (Navarro-Rivera, Kosmin, Keysar, 2008).

Belief in a communion with saints in Heaven, including loved ones who have passed away, is a tenet of Roman Catholicism and is demonstrated by Hispanics in the U.S. About four-tenths of U.S. Hispanics who are mainline Protestants and one-third of evangelicals agree with Catholic respondents that Mary is the mother of God and that she watches over the faithful, while 58% of evangelical Protestants disagree (Pew, 2008).  Many heads of households maintain in their homes small shrines to patron saints (often Mary, Mother of God) before which they pray and light candles or incense.  Communities of Hispanics in the U.S. celebrate with great enthusiasm and elaboration the feast days of their patron saints – the namesakes of their towns, cities or churches birthdays. Hispanics (like non-Hispanics) venerate patron saints and pray to them to intercede with God. They are considered protectors, even benefactors, of cities, parish churches, homes, and individuals. Observant, churchgoing Catholics and Protestants favor saints’ names for their children. They have offspring baptized into the communities of believers and dedicated to their namesake saints, whom they hope will be lifelong patrons. The greatest (perceived as most-influential) patron saint is Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, also known as Mary, Mother of God, who is the patroness of México, from which most U.S. Hispanics have descended.

In addition to feast days, such as that of the Our Lady of Guadalupe, Hispanic Catholics are famous for celebrating with great fervor the Way of the Cross and crucifixion of Jesus on Black Friday, Easter, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Three Kings’ Day. Some communities of immigrants from Mexico and their descendants, Christian or not, honor their ancestors the ages-old Day(s) of the Dead in November.

Christian Hispanic persons believe that God grants health and wellness. And they try to live in God’s grace and avoid sickness or injury by ardent prayer to God, patron saints, and ancestors hoped to be in heaven. Many wear crucifixes or patron saint medals. As non-Hispanic Catholics do, Hispanic Catholics may strive for supernatural protection from evils – spiritual or physical – by visiting shrines and other churches to venerate saints’ relics and pray to saints, to God, and to loved ones who have died (and may be in Heaven).  Some light candles or incense in churches to serve as tangible reminders of their prayer.

Some Hispanic persons in the U.S., particularly immigrants, transitionals, and transients, partake of quasi-medical services provided by highly religious and spiritual Curanderos (“healers”) in their communities.  These ‘faith healers’ and their patients attribute to diseases social, psychological, physical, and spiritual causes (malevolent spirits, lessons from God, and curses/hexes).  This traditional medicine, Curanderismo, may effect physical wellbeing through physiological healing or by improving patients’ quality of life, happiness, and self-understanding.  Curanderos use herbal remedies, do physical manipulation like chiropractors or massage therapists, channel advice from helpful spirits, and serve as midwives (Johnston, 2010).

Membership and participation in Christian churches does not preclude participation in faith-healing rituals of the traditional, centuries-old Curanderismo (“healing”).  Prayer is the foundation of Curanderismo.  The healers believe that they endowed by God with healing abilities. They pray to spirits and to particular Catholic saints for aid in healing their patients.  Curanderos use herbs, spices, eggs, lemons, flowers, fruits, pictures of saints, crucifixes, holy water, candles, incense, and oils as appropriate (Wurges, 2001).

Hispanic persons in the U.S., most notably those who have recently immigrated, and the first and second generations born in the U.S., consider their religions and their relationships with God and others to be important.  Their churches and their faith traditions guide their lives.  U.S. Hispanics’ moral and ethical choices are influenced by their belief systems.  And recently-transplanted Hispanics and their descendants typically report that their religion or church affiliation is an important part of their cultural identity.  In their desire to sustain their Hispanic cultures while in the U.S., they uphold their traditional religious beliefs and values while they participate in traditional religious practices including private rituals, worship services, and paraliturgical celebrations.

References

Bolks, S., Evans, D., Polinard, J. & Wrinkle, R. (2000). Core beliefs and abortion attitudes: a look at Latinos. Social Science Quarterly 81:253–60.

Brown, R., Jewell, R. and Rous, J. (2000). Abortion decisions among Hispanic women along the Texas-Mexico border. Social Science Quarterly 81:237–52.

Froehle, B., Gautier, M. (2000). Catholicism USA: a portrait of the Catholic Church in the United States. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis.

Johnston, L. (2006). Curanderismo: soul medicine for disability. Retrieved from http://www.HealingTherapies.info/Curanderismo1.htm

Navarro-Rivera, J., Kosmin, B. & Keysar, A. (2008). U.S. Latino religious identification 1990-2008: growth, diversity & transformation. Hartford, CN: Trinity College, Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture. Retrieved from www.AmericanReligionSurvey-ARISs.org/Latinos2008.pdf

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. (2007, April 25). Changing faiths: Latinos and the transformation of American religion. Retrieved from http://PewForum.org/Changing-Faiths-Latinos-and-the-Transformation-of-American-Religion.aspx

Wurges, J. (2001, April 6). Curanderismo. Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine.  Retrieved from http://FindArticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0003/ai_2603000312