Latino Churches: Faith, Family, and Ethnicity in the Second Generation (New Americans (Lfb Scholarly Publishing Llc).)

Crane's work shows how a significant number of Latino youth born in the rural Midwest have stayed involved in church out of ethnic and family solidarity. Although these youths do not show the same zeal and enthusiasm for certain traditions held dear by their parents, they have kept the church as a vital social space for expressing their own spirituality and ethnic identity. Latino churches, in turn, are effective in shaping the lives of youth because they function both as supporters and extensions of the family. The family-congregation nexus combines to enable a more selective form of acculturation that maintains a high-level of family cohesion and linguistic-cultural continuity. Crane's study shows that religion continues to increase the diversity of society rather than facilitate the "incorporation" of ethnic groups into a cultural "mainstream." Annotation Crane (affiliation not cited) presents the results of an ethnographic study on the social and religious experiences of second-generation Latino youth within their faith communities. In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted with members of three Latino congregations (Catholic, Adventist, and Assembly of God) in Michigan and Indiana. Broader societal and regional trends shaping the emergence of Latino religious congregations also are discussed. Crane holds a Ph. D. in sociology from Michigan State University. Annotation 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) At a time when religion has emerged, in the words of R. Stephan Warner, as a "vital expression of groups in an increasingly diverse society," my hope is that this work will increase our understanding of the place of ethnic and immigrant religion at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Segmented acculturation and ethnic congregations Fieldwork methods The community context Community of memory Born again in the U.S.A. Hot waters in the heartland Intersections of faith, family, and ethnicity Conclusion