The Gender-Conversion-Identity Nexus: A Synthesizing Framework for the Study of Islam in Latin America

Abstract

The study of Islam in the Western hemisphere has largely overlooked Latin America, a region experiencing a quiet but significant religious transformation through the conversion of native-born individuals to Islam. This review article synthesizes the emerging scholarship on this phenomenon, arguing that while gender, conversion, and identity have been studied in isolation, they are in fact inextricably linked. By proposing the "gender-conversion-identity nexus" as a synthesizing framework, this review demonstrates how their integration is essential for a holistic understanding of how Islam is being indigenized in Latin America. This approach reveals conversion as a fundamentally gendered process, which in turn catalyzes the construction of uniquely hybrid identities—a dynamic that constitutes the defining characteristic of contemporary Latino Islam. Drawing primarily on qualitative and ethnographic evidence from key countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, the review analyzes gendered conversion narratives, the subsequent "double translation" of identity, and the significant challenges converts face. The article concludes by outlining critical gaps in the literature and proposing future research directions. Ultimately, this review contends that the gender-conversion-identity nexus provides an indispensable analytical tool for understanding Latin American converts not as passive recipients of a foreign faith, but as active agents in a profound socio-religious process.