The Unlikely Conversion of Father Juan Romero: Chicano Activism and Suburban Los Angeles Catholicism

Father Juan Romero, a leader in the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, came of age in the predominately-Anglo suburbs of mid-twentieth-century Los Angeles. Here, the burgeoning of racial consciousness confronted Cardinal James McIntyre, an elderly prelate who opposed many social justice movements. At that time, the rapidly-growing city was a center for conservative thought and politics, shaped in part by Anglo insecurities in the face of social transformation. Romero's early years reflected this conservative religious and cultural milieu, but ministry experiences and encounters with social justice movements challenged him to embrace his Mexican American identity and become an advocate for Chicano liberation. Although his promise of obedience to the Church tested the limits of his work for racial justice, Romero effectively reconciled his dual vocations as a priest and civil rights organizer.