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Immigrant communities in Indiana were never completely assimilated, however, through the process of Americanization. Many newcomers and longstanding ethnic groups retained their original languages and continued to celebrate the customs, music, and traditions brought with them from their homelands. Community life often centered around ethnic cultural organizations and clubs or religious centers. Churches and other places of worship have been described as the "last stronghold" of Old World (European) languages and customs. The majority of immigrants from Eastern Europe during this era were members of Orthodox Catholic communities. Latina/os (that is, people of Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban and other North and Central American Spanish-speaking countries) were predominantly Roman Catholic. Other religions included Christian Baptists, and Methodists as well as Jewish faiths.
These institutions often encouraged the use of a community's original language in religious activities. Other elements of worship - iconography (paintings of religious figures), music, food, clothing - also helped to reinforce and celebrate the cultural heritage of a specific community.
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