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Lucero said American church leaders should know that new immigrants typically do not think of themselves according to the Americanized racial or ethnic categories. For example, Asian immigrants have a stronger sense of national rather than racial identity, and many Latino newcomers think of themselves as white. (The U.S. Census considers Hispanic or Latino as an ethnic classification that can be applied to white, African American, or other racial categories.)

According to Lucero, the identity of the individual, not his or her ethnic group, is what counts. He recommends that Christian leaders draw insight about new immigrants from the writing of the late Nazarene scholar Timothy L. Smith, author of Revivalism and Social Reform. Smith considered the growth of immigration as a historic "theologizing moment," an occasion when the many social needs of new immigrants test the theology of churches. Lucero's hope is that churches will view new immigration as an opportunity to embrace ministry beyond existing ethnic boundaries.

"Historically, ethnic churches emphasized ethnicity and the culture as the draw," Fong told CT. "But today more people want to be part of a church that is significant. Christians are more interested in a church that is trying something difficult, based on biblical vision, rather than just ethnicity."

Tony Carnes is CT's senior news writer.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Articles on the challenges of immigration from Christianity Today and sister publications include:

Here for Good | Religion and the new immigrants. (Books & Culture, May/June 2002)

European Churches Declare Immigrants Are Not 'Potential Criminals' | Petitions submitted to the European Union for more protection, aid. (Christianity Today, June 11, 2001)

Melting Pot Redux | For without consciously intending any such result—or even fully grasping how it came about—the country finds itself dealing once again with immigration on a massive scale. (Books & Culture, July/August 1999)

Christianity Today articles on outreach to Hispanics include:

Despite Protestant Growth, Hispanic Catholicism Holds Steady in U.S. | Younger generations leaving for Protestant churches, but immigrants make up difference. (Feb. 7, 2003)

You Can Take the Boy out of the Barrio … | But nothing has been able to take the barrio out of Jesse Miranda, the uniting force for Hispanic Protestants in the U.S. (Sept 13, 2002)

The Hispanic Challenge | It's not easy growing Christian leaders for Dallas's fastest-growing population. (May 16, 2002)

Catching Up with Hispanics | New census data on the Latinos in our midst presents a reality check for cross-cultural outreach. (Nov. 12, 2001)

Wanted: Young, Dedicated Leaders | Hispanic Ministry Center and Latino Leadership Network provide informal training to equip emerging Latino youth-work leaders. (Oct. 4, 1999)

Reaching Out to Latinos | Church networks are cooperating to launch congregations in unlikely U.S. locations. (Sept. 6, 1999)

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February 2003, Vol. 47, No. 2