One July Fourth not too long ago, Ignacio Garcia’s clan gathered in Provo for a backyard barbecue and to watch an international soccer tournament on TV, which they had presumed would pit Mexico against the United States.
Unfortunately, the U.S didn’t make the finals, so while playing patriotic American anthems, the Mexican-American family ate hot dogs and hamburgers but rooted for Mexico.
Such split loyalties reflect their dual heritage as well as their conflicted feelings about Mormonism’s connection to the United States.
Indeed, as 19th-century LDS pioneers were driven from their homes in Nauvoo, Ill., they were determined to leave the United States altogether for — you guessed it — Mexico.