Aché pa ti: Santería’s Healing of Traumas of Displacement and Fostering of Social Justice-oriented Political Action in Cuban Immigrants

Research in psychology, pastoral care, and peace studies has increasingly recognized religious communities as vital sources of resilience and healing for immigrants. Religious communities can also empower immigrants in their process of reconstructing the losses experienced in the trauma of displacement. Focusing on the Afro-Cuban tradition of Santería, this paper delves into how Judith L. Herman’s healing stages model can be used to assess how the Cuban diaspora addresses the trauma of displacement. Santería’s role in fostering collective healing from the traumas of displacement and advancing social justice are also examined in this study, specifically how it addresses trauma by emphasizing relationships and social contracts and, therefore, healing trauma.