You Can Count On Jesús: Evangelical Churches Weigh In On Latinos And The Census

Latino-heavy evangelical churches are attempting to do their part in swaying Latinos - and Latino immigrants to the U.S. in particular - to participate in the upcoming 2010 Census. This is significant because more and more Latino immigrants have been trending towards leaving older religious institutions like the Catholic Church for, say, Pentecostal churches. And they’re making sure their voices are heard. So, suffice to say, when evangelical pastors impart advice to their Latino congregation on Latino issues, it’s worth paying attention. 

The debate on whether Latinos should participate in the census or boycott it is ongoing, with some heavy-hitters in the Latino community weighing in on what decision you should make. Telemundo, for example, is urging Latinos to participate. Groups like the Mexican American Political Association and the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders call for Latinos, and especially undocumented Latin American immigrants, to either actively boycott the census or merely not participate in order to protest the government’s treatment of Latino immigrants (”legalize us before you count us” is their rallying cry) or to avoid creating “ghost electoral districts” based on dodgy numbers. 

But certain evangelical pastors have been using their pulpits as soapboxes from which they can dispense political advice in a direct effort to combat  the aforementioned National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders’ take on the 2010 Census. Researchers say their message is more likely to reach a particular demographic - the first-generation Latin American immigrants at the very center of the Latino / Census debate:

“The message to participate in the census coming from the mayor and other leaders is heard by Hispanics who are second, third and fourth generation in the U.S.,” said political consultant William Orozco, who often caters campaigns to religious groups. “But they don’t connect with first-generation immigrants.

“Their connection, their moral compass, are the pastors.”

In less than six months, we suppose, this country will be able to see just how much influence is exerted by these pastors.

Latino churches front line of census battle [Daily News]