Answer: Even though Mexican Americans and Mexicans share common cultural roots, Mexican Americans are not as heavily Catholic as Mexicans. In addition, Mexican-American Catholics hold less traditional views on some core Catholic teachings than do Catholics living in Mexico.
In terms of religious affiliation, however, there are significant differences between Mexicans and Americans of Mexican descent, according to two recent Pew Research surveys. Majorities of both groups self-identify as Catholic, but the percentage of Catholics is 20 percentage points higher among Mexicans (81%) than among Mexican Americans (61%). Meanwhile, more Mexican Americans than Mexicans are Protestant (18% vs. 9%) or unaffiliated with any religion (17% vs. 7%).
Even among Catholics, the two groups espouse very different views on some church teachings. For instance, Mexican Catholics are significantly less likely than Mexican-American Catholics to say the Catholic Church should allow priests to marry and women to be ordained as priests. Views on Priests Marrying
