Identity, Assimilation, and Transnationalism in Latino Immigrant Churches: The Case of Recent Immigrants to Rural Pennsylvania

Church participation may have an important influence on the identities of Latino immigrants in the United States. Recent research suggests that Latino church communities foster either transnational identities that connect immigrant communities and their home countries or increased levels of political participation and civic engagement in the United States. This paper uses a case study of two Latino immigrant churches in central Pennsylvania to demonstrate that the local community environment, the ethnic makeup of the church and particular church practices are essential contextual factors that affect the ascription of identities. In these rural Latino churches, the lack of broad community support, the multiethnic congregations and the unique religious practices lead to neither transnationalism nor political participation. Instead, these churches demonstrate a collective and exclusive identity focused on day-to-day coping through faith in God and reliance on the church