The Church in the Barrio: Mexican American Ethno-Catholicism in Houston is a 2006 book by Roberto R. Treviño, published by the University of North Carolina Press.
[4] José F. Aranda Jr. of Rice University wrote that "From beginning to end, Treviño demonstrates why Houston should no longer remain virtually neglected by Chicano/a researchers.
[7] Treviño's sources for the book include church archival material and records,[8] located in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio in Texas and in Chicago.
[10] Carroll stated that "What I consistently found impressive about the analysis presented in this book is that Treviño refuses to succumb to the temptation to think in terms of simple dichotomies.
"[14] Carlos Kevin Blanton of Texas A&M University stated "While perhaps outside the study’s focus, this intriguing connection haunts the pages for a more sustained analysis.
[10] In order, the remaining chapters discuss ethno-Catholicism itself, poverty, the expansion of the Catholic church, the Mexican-American identity and the commitment to the faith, social action, and the Chicano movement.
[14] Blanton concluded that the book "seldom disappoints" and that it "describes Mexican American Catholicism in all its fascinating, vibrant dimensions and offers a perceptive, sophisticated, and balanced interpretation of the subject in one of the nation’s largest cities.
[9] Premack believed that "the good treatment of gender" was another positive; she wrote that she wanted additional exploration of "the fascinating tension between inclusion and outsiderness" and relations between the Mexican-American Evangelical and ethno-Catholic "identities".
[16] Barnhill wrote: "In sum, the work brings back a neglected aspect of Houston history and adds to the knowledge about the Mexican-American community in the United States.