Latinx Conversions to Islam

Abstract

This chapter shows that Latinx conversion to Islam dates back to the early twentieth century and has increased at the dawn of the twenty-first century as part of an exodus from the Catholic Church in the United States. This chapter draws on quantitative research and examines popular hypotheses attempting to explain why Latinxs leave Christianity to embrace Islam, including those regarding marriage, prison, and mass media. Additionally, this chapter draws on discursive analysis of reversion stories and ethnographic research to shed light on Latinx conversion to Islam as diverse, complex, and fluid processes. By examining how marginalized communities such as Latinx Muslims reinscribe reductive practices, and how these practices are shaped in large measure by broader historical contexts, we can begin to lay the groundwork for more nuanced engagements with Latinx conversion processes.