Calvillo’s New Books Explore Hip Hop, Pentecostalism

October 31, 2024

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Assistant Professor of Latinx Communities Jonathan Calvillo has not one, but two new books out this fall exploring how both hip hop music and Pentecostalism have made their mark on Latine communities in the United States.

Published on October 4, Calvillo’s In the Time of Sky-Rhyming: How Hip Hop Resonated in Brown Los Angeles (Oxford University Press) explores the impact of hip hop on the Latine community in Los Angeles during its early days on the West Coast. Calvillo delves into how the genre became a powerful medium for expression and community building among Latines, especially in the face of societal challenges. The book also highlights the cultural exchanges between Black Americans and Latines, as well as the contributions of Caribbean-origin migrants and other minoritized groups.

Calvillo’s second book, When the Spirit Is Your Inheritance: Reflections on Borderlands Pentecostalism, will be published by Fortress Press on Nov. 12. In this volume, Calvillo examines Latine Pentecostalism, focusing on its appeal to working-class Latine people and its role in shaping their racial and spiritual identities. Drawing from his own experiences and extensive qualitative research, Calvillo provides an insider perspective on the sociopolitical dynamics within Latine Pentecostal communities.