Terry Rey

Crossing the Water and Keeping the Faith

Terry Rey

Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s,significant numbers of Haitian immigrants began to arrive and settle in Miami.Overcoming some of the most foreboding obstacles ever to face immigrants inAmerica, they, their children, and now their grandchildren, as well as morerecently arriving immigrants from Haiti, have diversified socioeconomically.Together, they have made South Florida home to the largest population ofnative-born Haitians and diasporic Haitians outside of the Caribbean and one ofthe most significant Caribbean immigrant communities in the world. Religion hasplayed a central role in making all of this happen. Crossing the Water and Keeping the Faith is a historical andethnographic study of Haitian religion in immigrant communities, based onfieldwork in both Miami and Haiti, as well as extensive archival research.Where many studies of Haitian religion limit themselves to one faith, Rey andStepick explore Catholicism, Protestantism, and Vodou in conversation with oneanother, suggesting that despite the differences between these practices, thethree faiths ultimately create a sense of unity, fulfillment, and self-worth inHaitian communities. This meticulously researched and vibrantly written bookcontributes to the growing body of literature on religion among new immigrants,as well as providing a rich exploration of Haitian faith communities.