“Cuando actuamos, actuamos juntos”: Understanding the intersections of religion, activism, and citizenship within the Latino community in Indianapolis

Abstract

Undocumented immigration from Latin America is a heated and divisive topic in United States' politics. Politicians in Washington, D.C. are debating new legislation which would provide a pathway to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented immigrants. The Indianapolis Congregation Action Network (IndyCAN), a grassroots activist group in Indianapolis, is organizing the Latino community through faith and shared political goals. Many undocumented Latino immigrants are utilizing IndyCAN to mobilize and attempt to influence progressive policy change. However, nativist groups challenge these efforts by trying to define who can be considered an "American" and are attempting to block legislation due to their negative perceptions of Latinos. Debates about citizenship reveal the embeddedness of race and ethnicity in defining “American.” Despite this, many Latino immigrants are forging their own identities in the United States and are engaging in a political system which refuses to grant them a legal status. Within IndyCAN, this political involvement occurs through religious strategies that seem apolitical yet are implicitly an enactment of activism. This project reveals how undocumented Latino immigrants in Indianapolis are impacting the political process regardless of their legal status.