In “Sanctuary in America,” Lloyd D. Barba and Sergio M. González—co-hosts of the podcast, Sanctuary: On the Border Between Church and State—tell the story of how sanctuary activists have, for nearly half a century, organized one of the most robust civil disobedience movements in American history. Rigorous yet readable, this book provides a sweeping historical account of a movement that emerged in the 1980s and how the past can help us better understand the New Sanctuary Movement of the twenty-first century. Replete with human interest stories, “Sanctuary in America” draws upon extensive archival data from across the country to tell the full story of one of the most successful resistance movements of the last fifty years. A compelling story of migrant journeys, religious activism, and political showdowns, this book speaks to those attempting to navigate the trying and tumultuous present.
Learn more or purchase this book at Oxford University Press
Dr. Gonzalez answered some questions about his new book, including where the idea for the book came from, what he hopes this book will accomplish and how the book complements his teaching and research.
How would you describe the book in one sentence?
“Sanctuary in America” explores how faith communities, immigrants, and everyday people built one of the most enduring movements for justice in modern American history.
Where did the idea for this book come from?
I’ve been researching the sanctuary movement for over a decade, and I first covered its history while working on my dissertation on the history of Latino communities in Wisconsin (which eventually became my 2024 book “Strangers No Longer”). Sanctuary remains one of the most important immigrant justice social movements in the United States today.
What do you hope to accomplish with this book?
I hope the book offers a compelling and engaging history of faith-based immigrant justice activism as well as insights into our contemporary immigration politics.
How does this book advance or complement your research and/or teaching?
As a historian of twentieth-century U.S. migration, labor, and religion, this book continues my research focus on immigration politics and social movements in the U.S.
Is this your first book? What is your publishing history?
This will be my fourth solo or co-written book, and it will be followed by a co-edited volume on the sanctuary movement that will be released by New York University Press in November, “Sacred Refuge: New Histories of the U.S. Sanctuary Movement,” edited with Lloyd D. Barba.
- 2024 – “Strangers No Longer: Latino Belonging and Faith in Twentieth-Century Wisconsin.” University of Illinois Press. (Awarded the American Catholic Historical Association’s John Gilmary Shea Prize and honorable mention for the Midwestern History Association’s Jon Gjerde Book Prize.)
- 2022 – “Faith and Power: Latino Religious Politics Since 1945,” edited with Felipe Hinojosa and Maggie Elmore. New York University Press.
- 2017 – “Mexicans in Wisconsin.” Wisconsin Historical Society Press
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Book Details
- Publisher: Oxford University Press (Sept. 17, 2026)
- Language: English
- Print length: 240 pages
- ISBN-13: 978-0197855980
