Latino Muslims at country's first Spanish-speaking mosque: 'Islam changed my life'

Latina/o Muslims continue to garner attention in the news. Deservedly so. 

They are among the fastest growing demographics of growth in global Islam -- particularly in the U.S. 

Ryan Schuessler, reporting from Houston, recently covered a Cinco de Mayo festival held at the Islam in Spanish mosque in the Bayou City. I was honored to be interviewed for the piece to provide my contextual knowledge and perspective. Here's a sampling below...or read the FULL ARTICLE HERE.

“They’ve been able to really define very significant and strong Latino and Muslim identities, and to merge the two together,” said Ken Chitwood, a PhD student at the University of Florida who studies and writes about the growing Latino Muslim community. “And they are very intentional about that.”

In his research, Chitwood has found that most Latino Muslims are converts from Christianity. Central and South American countries are heavily rooted in the Roman Catholic church.

“Typically, there is some sort of spiritual wandering that occurs,” Chitwood said. “There is some type of spiritual dissatisfaction with their present religious outlook, be that Catholic or Protestant or whatever. And then they go looking.”