Religion and Social Justice For Immigrants

Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo

• Publisher: Rutgers University Press
• Year: 2006
• Print ISBN: 9780813539096, 9780813539089
• eBook ISBN: 9780813558257
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

Religion has jumped into the sphere of global and domestic politics in ways that few would have imagined a century ago. Some expected that religion would die as modernity flourished.  Instead, it now stares at us almost daily from the front pages of newspapers and television broadcasts. Although it is usually stories about the Christian Right or conservative Islam that grab headlines, there are many religious activists of other political persuasions that are working quietly for social justice. This book examines how religious immigrants and religious activists are working for equitable treatment for immigrants in the United States.

The essays in this book analyze the different ways in which organized religion provides immigrants with an arena for mobilization, civic participation, and solidarity. Contributors explore topics including how non-Western religious groups such as the Vietnamese Caodai are striving for community recognition and addressing problems such as racism, economic issues, and the politics of diaspora; how interfaith groups organize religious people into immigrant civil rights activists at the U.S.–Mexican border; and how Catholic groups advocate governmental legislation and policies on behalf of refugees.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Part I: Diverse Approaches to Faith and Social Justice for Immigrants
• Part II: Religion, Civic Engagement, and Immigrant Politics
• Part III: Faith, Fear, and Fronteras: Challenges at the U.S.-Mexico Border
• Part IV: Faith-Based Nongovernmental Organizations
• Part V: Theology, Redemption, and Justice
• References
• Notes on Contributors
• Index