Transformative Reach of Pentecostalism Among the Social Biographies of Romani People in Mexico

The Romani Pentecostal movement represents a religious conversion process that began in Western Europe in the mid-20th century among the “Tsiganes” (“gitanos”) in France. Over time, it has spread to various populations within this group around the world, including Romani people in the Americas, and thus in Mexico, which is the focus of this research.

In the 1980s, segments of the Mexican Romani population were experiencing processes such as reduced mobility and (semi-)sedentarization in cities, gradual transitions from tents to houses, the adoption of new trades, among other changes (Ripka, 2008; Muskus, 2012). These developments brought about a disruption of their existing frameworks of meaning, the restructuring of their social organization, and economic setbacks due to the rapid demands for adaptation to increasingly urbanized and globalized environments (such as Mexico City). In short, during the last quarter of the 20th century, macro- and micro-level socio-economic changes occurred, posing a challenge to reorient their social biographies in terms of lifestyles and life expectations.

Amid the whirlwind of these transformations, a message of hope and the promise of a better future—offered by Pentecostalism—found a foothold in their lives. This conversion entailed the rise of an evangelical framework of intelligibility with biographical redefinition effects, which, among other things, impacted their genealogical understanding as a people (introducing the notion of being “one of the Tribes of Israel”), the prioritization of daily activities (closely linked to church life), as well as the rhythms, timing, and life expectations (associated with achieving holiness and ultimately the personal and collective salvation of their people).