Religion, Spirituality and Faith in Mexican American Social History 1940s-Present

FAIN: PW-269412-20

UCLA; Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA 90024-4201)
Chon Noriega (Project Director: July 2019 to present)

The arrangement, description, and selected digitization of archival collections pertaining to the role of religion in Latino history.  Included are nine collections totaling 237 linear feet, among which are 12,000 photographs that would be digitized.

While there has been significant and substantial work done in the general area of Mexican American social history, the role of religion, spirituality, and faith have received limited attention until recently. Researchers have documented the sociological fact of religion as a significant factor among U.S. Latinos (with 91% identifying with a religion or faith). But scholars also note a “surprising” absence of humanities research that integrates this material into archive-based research and educational curricula. This project proposes to reframe the approach to and use of archival resources informing social histories, educational practices, and public programming related to the Mexican American population.