The Latin@-Muslim Connection
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What might have attracted Latines like Manuel 2X to the message of the Nation of Islam?
The Nation of Islam believed that "black-skinned people are direct descendants of the creative dark 'atom' of the universe: they are divine, 'Original Man,' and their true religion is Islam" (170). The story continues by stating that 6,600 years ago, a rebel black scientist, unhappy with his position on Earth, genetically removed the black "germ." Ancient scientists had discovered that all black people contained two "germs" in their genotype—one black and one brown. In hopes of eradicating darker-skinned babies, the scientist eventually removed the black germ, which held divinity, from a percentage of the population, thereby creating the white group. White people, who were seen as lacking humanity, became the "devils" and oppressors of black people. In this process, the scientist also created "the brown-, yellow-, and red-skinned people of the earth" (170). Because all these groups contained some of the original divine "germ," they were considered "Original Man," including Latin@s. Manuel 2X found the message of the Nation of Islam relevant to both Native Americans and Latin@s. The message of being a "true Muslim," along with the Nation of Islam's work in social improvement, was appealing to these groups.
What are some of the reasons for Latines to develop relationships with immigrant Muslims?
In the late 1800s to early 1900s, South Asian men immigrated to California for work without their wives. For these South Asian men, the only way to start families was by marrying American women. The most common relationships involving South Asian Muslim men (who made up about 10% of South Asian male immigrants in California) were with Mexican-American women from poor agricultural families. These Mexican-American women often did not convert to Islam, as Islamic Shari'a (according to some sects) states that the wives of Muslim men may keep their original faith, as long as it is an Abrahamic one. Since these women were allowed to maintain their faith, and many of the immigrant Muslim men did not have religious texts to deepen their understanding of Islam, their wives' faith often took precedence. This allowed Mexican-American women to maintain their familial and communal ties throughout their marriages. Consequently, many Mexican-American women married immigrant Muslims, strengthening Latin@-Muslim ties within America.