LIMINAL LATINIDAD: The Navigation of Ethnoracial Identities and Leadership Among Latino Evangelical Pastors

• In Event: Latina/o Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Roundtable 6: Race, Ethnoracial Formation, and Boundary Making

Abstract

In studies of evangelicalism and race, scholars have largely focused on white evangelicalism, characterized by hegemonic power structures reinforcing white supremacy. The growing presence of Latino evangelicals, however, is one of the most significant religious trends. Research targeting the interplay of evangelical culture and racial discrimination as perceived by Latino elites remains understudied. This paper explores how Latino evangelical pastors understand race within their ministries, and how racial dynamics shape Latino leadership and influence. Interviews reveal that Latino pastors within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) interpret race as a lived, negotiated condition that shapes legitimacy, leadership, and future vision. Across accounts of ministry and institutional inequality, three patterned strategies emerge: (1) racial liminality and the work of belonging; (2) navigating whiteness within denominational structures marked by unequal resources and prestige; and (3) converting marginality into leverage through strategic boundary spanning. Together, these strategies show how Latino pastors manage liminality in ways that both constrain and empower their leadership. A focus on Latino leadership broadens the image of American religion by recognizing diverse iterations of evangelicalism beyond the dominant white evangelical framework.

Author

• Andrea Feliz Garcia-Borbón, University of California-San Diego