This series title focuses on the challenges people faced when adapting to American culture and their response to prejudice, both personal and institutional. Each religion receives three chapters in which the authors blend a history of the adherents in the U.S., a look at their beliefs and how those ideas and practices were challenged or altered as first-generation followers tried to pass their traditions on to succeeding generations, and biographical anecdotes.

Little-known aspects of American life and jurisprudence are pointed out as well, such as the laws that prevented Asians from immigrating to the U.S. and others that prevented immigrants already here from becoming citizens or owning land. Ritual practices are detailed, often in the form of adherents' biographies, as are related architectural motifs and holiday celebrations. The dry writing is tempered somewhat by the anecdotal material and occasional sidebars. Numerous, captioned black-and-white photographs are scattered throughout. This title provides a succinct yet full introduction to these groups that are little understood in the U.S., and occasional references to American converts to Hinduism and Buddhism supply a link to the wider culture.

Download File Size:14.05 MB

---