Description
Book SynopsisEvery December 12th, thousands of Mexican immigrants gather for the mass at New York City's St Patrick's Cathedral in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day. They kiss images of the Virgin, wait for a bishop's blessing - and they also carry signs asking for immigration reform. This book examines this juxtaposition of religion and politics.
Trade ReviewProfessor Galvez presents the social and anthropological theoretical framework for all these developments clearly and succinctly, making this book a valuable addition to academic studies on Latinos in the United States and an excellent college text. But all readers will find the individual immigrant stories and the organizational travails thoroughly engaging and the journeys of faith inspiring. * American Catholic Studies *
Galvez' book is a fascinating and valuable study of the intersection between contemporary religious practice and national identity among New York City's Mexican immigrant community. -- Paul Kahan * Religious Studies Review *
Gálvezs rich ethnographic study of Mexican immigrants in New York City highlights their devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe not only as a religious practice but as a means to create community and public life in the United States. Given the ongoing and increasing presence of Mexicans immigrants in the Northeast, Guadalupe in New York is an important study that social scientists, educators, religious workers, and public servants should read to understand the persistent and complex role that Guadalupe devotion plays in the lives of Mexicans in the United States. -- Joseph M. Palacios,Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Georgetown University
Portrays the dilemmas of being a recent Mexican immigrant in New York City today. This book analyzes how the cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe provides a means for immigrants to articulate their aspirations for belonging and, ultimately, citizenship in the United States. Written with vivid grace, this book is a pleasure to read and should be required reading for all concerned with these issues. -- Renato Rosaldo,Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences, Emeritus, Stanford University
Galvezs findings offer much to consider for students of religious, ethnic, and transnational identities. * Choice *
Table of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgments 1 Introduction 2 On Citizenship, Membership, and the Right to Have Rights 3 Los Comites Guadalupanos and Asociacion Tepeyac: Their Formation and Context 4 Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Image and Its Circulation 5 El Viacrucis del Inmigrante and Other Public Processions 6 La Antorcha Guadalupana/The Guadalupan Torch Run: Messengers for a People Divided by the Border 7 Conclusion: Citizenship for Immigrants Appendix: A Note on Methodology and the Use of Pseudonyms Notes References Index About the Author
