Social Justice, Latinx Theology & The Brown Church - Dr. Robert Chao Romero

Dr. Robert Chao Romero talks with us about the role that the Latina/o church has played to fight oppression throughout history. He discusses why a percentage Hispanic voters supported Trump, despite his policies and ideas that have been used to hurt Brown communities.

He addresses the history of racism and colonialism in Latin America and tells the story of Antonio de Montesinos, a Dominican Friar who preached sermons to denounce colonists who were enslaving and abusing indigenous people in the Caribbean back in 1511. He talks about the role of faith in the life of Cesar Chavez. He also shares why there are biases against Christianity in Ethnic academic studies due to the abuses and trauma cased by our churches throughout history.

Robert Chao Romero has a unique perspective on social justice and race as the son of a Mexican father and Chinese immigrant mother. His latest book "The Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology & Identity" discusses the various ways our Latinx church fought oppression throughout history.

Robert Chao Romero (PhD, University of California at Los Angeles; JD, University of California at Berkeley) is associate professor in the Departments of Chicana/o Studies and Asian American Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. He is the author of the award-winning The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940, Jesus for Revolutionaries: An Introduction to Race, Social Justice, and Christianity, and Mixed Race Student Politics. He's also a pastor and co-founder of Jesus 4 Revolutionaries, a Christian ministry to activists, and serves on the Board of the Matthew 25 Movement.