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Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity
Life as a Latino in America is complicated. Living between the two worlds of being Latino and American can generate great uncertainty. And the strange mixture of ethnic pride and racial prejudice creates another sort of confusion. Orlando Crespo has taken his own journey from Puerto Rico to an immigrant neighborhood in Springfield, Massachusetts, and back again to his Latino roots. In this books he helps you to reflect on your own voyage of self-understanding and on what it means to have a mixed heritage from the days of the original Spanish Conquest to the present. His straightforward approach also takes him to what the Bible says about ethnic identity--about a people who were often oppressed by more powerful cultures. He helps you to see how Jesus' own humanity unfolded in the context of a people who were considered to be inferior. Thus Crespo finds both realism and hope in the good news of Jesus. There is more, however, than merely coming to terms with who you are. Crespo also shows how Latinos are called to step out positively in ministry to the world. You can make a positive impact in on the world in racial reconciliation, in bicultural ministry and more because of who God has uniquely made you to be. Here is a book for all Latinos who want to live confidently in Christ.
167 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 2003
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154 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 24, 2020
One of the most helpful books I’ve read on race - beneficial for any ethnicity to learn from (like me: I’m a middle aged white man). Hopeful and honest.
The "Ethnic Identity/Assimilation Grid" alone is worth the price of the book! VERY helpful, especially for ethnic minorities (or anyone that cares about ethnic minorities).
I appreciate Crespo’s balance between understanding our ethnicity "without falling into idolatry of ethnicity.”
Being Latino applies to Latinos, Dr. Rah’s claim in The Next Evangelicalism that the future leaders of the Western Church will be ethic minorities - the in-between-ness of growing up in multiple cultures forges leaders who are confident and equipped to lead in the complicated racial environment that is America in 2020.
"I am… learning to accept the complexity and alienation of being Latino in America. I am not just Latino, I am also American. I love and appreciate both cultures. Yet I do not feel completely at home in either one.”
Crespo powerfully articulates the loneliness and pain that comes with that “in-between-ness”. The double alienation and margination that American Latinos feel- "I must constantly function in two worlds, both of which reject me at some level and to neither of which I truly belong.…The challenge for us is to find a way to live in this transitory state of in-between and thrive in it instead of being debilitated by it."
One of the great benefits of understanding our ethnicity and culture (anyone, not just ethnic minorities; especially the ‘white' majority) is to be able to appreciate AND critique our culture. That is difficult for the majority culture to do because it feels “normal” (as Crespo says- “anyone who doesn't see themselves as having an ethnicity is claiming to be universal”). But all cultures and people are corrupted by sin. AND we are all shaped by a cultural narrative. If you can’t see your narrative (often identical to the culture you’ve grown up in), then you are invisibly controlled.
Crespo explains:
“To be an insider-outsider, as is the mestizo [a 'mixed' people of Spanish and Indian descent], is to have closeness to and distance from both parent cultures. A mestizo people can see and appreciate characteristics in its parent cultures that they see neither in themselves nor in each other.”
That is the benefit of digging into your ethnicity- to have distance from your own culture. To hold it up and examine it against the light of scripture.
I believe God will use American Latinos to lead our country in 2020, to learn to deal with our complicated and painful racial history. Why? Because a Latino is the product of a painful history of violence (both among Natives and European conquerors, the latter more so in recent history- “some of our Spanish forefathers raped our Indian foremothers”). To be Latino is "to know that both the oppressor and the oppressed are within oneself.” That is much of our country’s history as well. Crespo shows how Latinos are centuries ahead in thinking (and living) through this chaos.
God has a way of taking what others despise and through it bringing liberation and hope.
Much of this echoes the brilliant wisdom of James Baldwin (in 1963):
"It is ironical . . . the people who were slaves here, the most beaten and despised people here . . . should be at this moment . . . the only hope this country has.
None of the descendants of Europe seem to be able to do, or have taken it on themselves to do, what Negroes are now trying to do. And this is not a chauvinistic or racial outlook. It probably has something to do with the nature of life itself. It forces you, in any extremity, any extreme, to discover what you really live by, whereas most Americans have been for so long, so safe and so sleepy, that they don’t any longer have any real sense of what they live by."
The "Ethnic Identity/Assimilation Grid" alone is worth the price of the book! VERY helpful, especially for ethnic minorities (or anyone that cares about ethnic minorities).
I appreciate Crespo’s balance between understanding our ethnicity "without falling into idolatry of ethnicity.”
Being Latino applies to Latinos, Dr. Rah’s claim in The Next Evangelicalism that the future leaders of the Western Church will be ethic minorities - the in-between-ness of growing up in multiple cultures forges leaders who are confident and equipped to lead in the complicated racial environment that is America in 2020.
"I am… learning to accept the complexity and alienation of being Latino in America. I am not just Latino, I am also American. I love and appreciate both cultures. Yet I do not feel completely at home in either one.”
Crespo powerfully articulates the loneliness and pain that comes with that “in-between-ness”. The double alienation and margination that American Latinos feel- "I must constantly function in two worlds, both of which reject me at some level and to neither of which I truly belong.…The challenge for us is to find a way to live in this transitory state of in-between and thrive in it instead of being debilitated by it."
One of the great benefits of understanding our ethnicity and culture (anyone, not just ethnic minorities; especially the ‘white' majority) is to be able to appreciate AND critique our culture. That is difficult for the majority culture to do because it feels “normal” (as Crespo says- “anyone who doesn't see themselves as having an ethnicity is claiming to be universal”). But all cultures and people are corrupted by sin. AND we are all shaped by a cultural narrative. If you can’t see your narrative (often identical to the culture you’ve grown up in), then you are invisibly controlled.
Crespo explains:
“To be an insider-outsider, as is the mestizo [a 'mixed' people of Spanish and Indian descent], is to have closeness to and distance from both parent cultures. A mestizo people can see and appreciate characteristics in its parent cultures that they see neither in themselves nor in each other.”
That is the benefit of digging into your ethnicity- to have distance from your own culture. To hold it up and examine it against the light of scripture.
I believe God will use American Latinos to lead our country in 2020, to learn to deal with our complicated and painful racial history. Why? Because a Latino is the product of a painful history of violence (both among Natives and European conquerors, the latter more so in recent history- “some of our Spanish forefathers raped our Indian foremothers”). To be Latino is "to know that both the oppressor and the oppressed are within oneself.” That is much of our country’s history as well. Crespo shows how Latinos are centuries ahead in thinking (and living) through this chaos.
God has a way of taking what others despise and through it bringing liberation and hope.
Much of this echoes the brilliant wisdom of James Baldwin (in 1963):
"It is ironical . . . the people who were slaves here, the most beaten and despised people here . . . should be at this moment . . . the only hope this country has.
None of the descendants of Europe seem to be able to do, or have taken it on themselves to do, what Negroes are now trying to do. And this is not a chauvinistic or racial outlook. It probably has something to do with the nature of life itself. It forces you, in any extremity, any extreme, to discover what you really live by, whereas most Americans have been for so long, so safe and so sleepy, that they don’t any longer have any real sense of what they live by."
February 7, 2021
3+ stars
I wanted to love this, and it is very good in many places--culture does have a place in Christianity for sure, and bi-culturalism as well. However, I am not fond of politics from the pulpit since Jesus specifically avoided getting caught up in the politics of the world.
The Latino community, which is actually very diverse and has plenty of division within it (Crespo writes about this a number of times in this book) may be the largest visible minority like this in the States, but it is not the only one. In addition to the problems any immigrant with a foreign accent gets here, and the extra those of minority races get, there are others who come from racially mixed heritages. Cape Verdeans are one example of this.
Good point: just because there is no male nor female, Jew nor Gentile (but that did not just mean Romans, it meant all non-Jews), etc in Christ doesn't mean we have no identities outside of that. What I am not sure he stressed enough, though, is that our primary identification as Christians is in Christ regardless of gender, race or culture. But the other part is important. This is why some churches stress having people do outreach in their own cultures/countries. Having people who know two or more cultures acting as bridges is excellent, particularly if they really understand both and realize that God can work in both.
However, even though some white Christians are racist--maybe even the majority in your neck of the woods, it is incorrect to judge as the world does or by your experience and buy into the world's views that it automatically means all white Christians are racist. I think that with all of the division the Church as a body (ie all Christians who have been saved, not talking about buildings or denominations) has already, it's important for any marginalized group as well as majority groups to do as Paul did and "forget, reach, press"-know the problem, be prepared to minister and help, but press toward the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. One body includes so many people different from us and if the church as a whole is unable to all come together because denominations are never comprised solely of people genuinely trying to walk in the steps of Jesus, then all who are need to remember that God is no respector of persons, has made all nations of one blood and that we are all part of the body of Christ.
I wanted to love this, and it is very good in many places--culture does have a place in Christianity for sure, and bi-culturalism as well. However, I am not fond of politics from the pulpit since Jesus specifically avoided getting caught up in the politics of the world.
The Latino community, which is actually very diverse and has plenty of division within it (Crespo writes about this a number of times in this book) may be the largest visible minority like this in the States, but it is not the only one. In addition to the problems any immigrant with a foreign accent gets here, and the extra those of minority races get, there are others who come from racially mixed heritages. Cape Verdeans are one example of this.
Good point: just because there is no male nor female, Jew nor Gentile (but that did not just mean Romans, it meant all non-Jews), etc in Christ doesn't mean we have no identities outside of that. What I am not sure he stressed enough, though, is that our primary identification as Christians is in Christ regardless of gender, race or culture. But the other part is important. This is why some churches stress having people do outreach in their own cultures/countries. Having people who know two or more cultures acting as bridges is excellent, particularly if they really understand both and realize that God can work in both.
However, even though some white Christians are racist--maybe even the majority in your neck of the woods, it is incorrect to judge as the world does or by your experience and buy into the world's views that it automatically means all white Christians are racist. I think that with all of the division the Church as a body (ie all Christians who have been saved, not talking about buildings or denominations) has already, it's important for any marginalized group as well as majority groups to do as Paul did and "forget, reach, press"-know the problem, be prepared to minister and help, but press toward the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. One body includes so many people different from us and if the church as a whole is unable to all come together because denominations are never comprised solely of people genuinely trying to walk in the steps of Jesus, then all who are need to remember that God is no respector of persons, has made all nations of one blood and that we are all part of the body of Christ.
March 30, 2017
Life-changing! This book helped me understand so many things about myself and helped me walk through my ethnic identity. I would highly recommend this book to any Latino person and any person who wants to learn about what it could be like to be a Latino in the U.S.
August 2, 2017
"If I can be courageous-and this is where the cutting edge of my faith rests-then my obedience to Christ truly has meaning and his power can be manifest in and through me"..."I know too much about God to sit back and do nothing"... "It is not enough to feel the pain; I must recognize that God is committed to bringing justice".
I have no Latin descent that I am aware of, however, this book was most certainly worth the read. We should all be committed to learning about our ethnic identity as it exposes the Lord's beauty in and through us in a very special way. And because God created all mankind so intentionally, it is worth understanding and entering into the other cultures as well. This read brought much conviction in my little effort to advocate with and on behalf of my Latino brothers and sisters. I am moved to do more and be more for them.
I have no Latin descent that I am aware of, however, this book was most certainly worth the read. We should all be committed to learning about our ethnic identity as it exposes the Lord's beauty in and through us in a very special way. And because God created all mankind so intentionally, it is worth understanding and entering into the other cultures as well. This read brought much conviction in my little effort to advocate with and on behalf of my Latino brothers and sisters. I am moved to do more and be more for them.
May 17, 2021
I read this book with a few student leaders for our Latino ministry chapter at UD. The book had some helpful chapters on the justification for considering ethnic identity, the shortcomings of a colorblind approach, and really helpful reflections on the unique experiences of Latino-Americans. The diagram on four quadrants for thinking about minorities in PWIs is one I will hope to use going forward. The students and I went through the ethnicity identity questionnaire, which was a very sweet experience.
I was a little disappointed at how little Scripture was used in the book. A few chapters were very strong at looking at relevant Scriptural passages, but I often had to supplement biblical material in the majority of the chapters.
I was a little disappointed at how little Scripture was used in the book. A few chapters were very strong at looking at relevant Scriptural passages, but I often had to supplement biblical material in the majority of the chapters.
April 10, 2021
As a self-identifying white male, I have a desire (and a responsibility) to grow in understanding, appreciating, honoring, and valuing those whose cultural background and life experience are different from my own. Crespo’s intended audience is Latinx, and his well-written, accessible prose seeks to spiritually affirm and uplift the Latinx experience. He accomplishes this well - and his pastoral guidance has impacted me for the better as well.
May 13, 2022
Written in 2003, it’s a little behind in some aspects, but overall this is an amazing guide in becoming more intentional in learning more about our Latinx heritage. Crespo dives deep into discussing the internalized racism amongst Latinos, and provides a guide to Racial Reconciliation in the nation and within the church. I encourage any Christian Latino to read this.
July 23, 2022
Wish I read it sooner
May 26, 2024
Great and easy read!
April 21, 2011
Helpful look into being Latino and Christian. The author explores being bicultural really well with his own stories and others' anecdotes. Lots of helpful charts and graphs and tools in the later chapters too.
November 15, 2007
Helpful and empowering. The cultural comparison chart made me realize that this whole time I haven't been terribly odd, just Latino in a predominantly non-Latino culture.
May 20, 2011
Great reading for Christian Latinos and anyone who cares about them.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews