Source: The Christian Science Monitor

On August 19, 1999, The Christian Science Monitor published an article on the small but growing trend of Hispanic American conversions to Islam. Elizabeth Chawki, one of the approximately 15,000 Hispanic American converts to Islam, converted to Islam from her Christian heritage because she perceived a more direct connection to God, and she appreciated the sense of "brotherhood and sisterhood," the daily structure of life, and the inclusion of much of Jewish and Christian teachings. Benny Garcia, brother of Elizabeth Chawki and also a recent convert, stated that, "there's sometimes a sense of betrayal" from the greater Hispanic Catholic community of which they are a part, but that has not translated into violence or discrimination.