Islam and the American Latino community have been connected since the 1920s. Initial crossovers between the Latino and Muslim communities occurred within majority-Black Muslim organizations, such as the Moorish Science Temple. Over time, Latino Muslims formed their communities, many of which were focused on social justice and activism. A shining example of this is the now-defunct Alianza Islamica, which thrived in New York until its building burned down in 2005. New, internet-based organizations such as LADO (Latino American Dawah Organization) and IslamInSpanish carry Alianza’s legacy. Initially, these organizations focused on translating materials about Islam (such as the Qur’an and commentaries); now, some maintain physical spaces and host classes for new Latino Muslims.
These spaces have become increasingly important as the Latino Muslim community grows. To explain why Latinos are converting to Islam at faster rates than other demographic groups, the second section of my paper explored three possible points of connection between Latinos and Muslims: historical ties, political ties, and cultural ties.
Historically, Latinos have connections to Islam because of the Moorish presence in Spain. Although very few Moors (or moriscos) traveled to Latin America and passed on Islam, many Latino Muslim organizations paint converting to Islam as a return to their Moorish Muslim heritage. Even though the impact of the Moors on Latino culture may be overstated, almost half of Latino Muslims still say that their ‘reversion’ to an ancestral religion was an important component of their conversions.
Politically, Latinos and Muslims face much of the same discrimination. Both are stereotyped as immigrant groups with certain undesirable characteristics–Latinos as violent criminals and Muslims as religious fundamentalists. Both of these are, of course, not applicable to the entirety of the population. One interesting consequence of both groups’ similar backlash is their mutual respect. For example, Latinos display lower levels of Islamophobia than other demographic groups; I argue that this allows Latinos to learn about Islam more easily in the United States.
Culturally, Latinos and Muslims share several values, both good and bad. For example, both place value on family; additionally, both have old misogynistic structures that are improving over time. However, cultural ties alone are not enough to explain why Latinos are converting to Islam, nor are historical or political connections. These conditions all help create a Latino community that is relatively accepting of Islam, but only genuine religious interest can prompt a conversion of belief.
Latino converts to Islam highlight a handful of religious doctrines that called them to the faith. Most prominent among these is Islam’s strict monotheism, in contrast to Christianity’s concept of the Trinity. Converts tend to learn more about Islam’s religious teachings through friends. Important groups that connect eventual converts to resources include Latino Muslim organizations, women’s groups, and potentially prisons–although the statistics are unclear.
Once Latinos convert to Islam, they build their communities and forge new identities that combine their heritage and faith. Although each individual’s identity differs, with some considering themselves to be Muslim before Latino or vice versa, the vast majority of them believe that the two identities can coexist. All of them are Latino and Muslim, if not a unique fusion identity as Latino Muslims.
Author: Jacqueline Bucaro