Religion and the New Immigrants: How Faith Communities Form Our Newest Citizens

by Michael W. Foley, Dean R. Hoge

Overview

The explosive growth of the immigrant population since the 1960s has raised concerns about its impact on public life, but only recently have scholars begun to ask how religion affects the immigrant experience in our society. In Religion and the New Immigrants, Michael W. Foley and Dean R. Hoge assess the role of local worship communities in promoting civic engagement among recent immigrants to the United States.
The product of a three-year study on immigrant worship communities in the Washington, DC area, the book explores the diverse ways in which such communities build social capital among their members, provide social services, develop the "civic skills" of members, and shape immigrants' identities. It looks closely at civic and political involvement and the ways in which worship communities involve their members in the wider society. Evidence from a survey of 200 worship communities and in-depth studies of 20 of them across ethnic groups and religious traditions suggests that the stronger the ethnic or religious identity of the community and the more politicized the leadership, the more civically active the community.
The explosive growth of the immigrant population since the Local leadership, much more than ethnic origins or religious tradition, shapes the level and kind of civic engagement that immigrant worship communities foster. Catholic churches, Hindu temples, mosques, and Protestant congregations all vary in the degree to which they help promote greater integration into American life. But where religious and lay leaders are civically engaged, the authors find, ethnic and religious identity contribute most powerfully to participation in civic life and the larger society.
Religion and the New Immigrants challenges existing theories and offers a nuanced view of how religious institutions contribute to the civic life of the nation. As one of the first studies to focus on the role of religion in immigrant civic engagement, this timely volume will interest scholars and students in a range of disciplines as well as anyone concerned about the future of our society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198040743
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/08/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Michael W. Foley is Associate Professor of Politics at The Catholic University of America. His research has focused on grassroots organizations and nonprofits in Mexico, El Salvador, and the United States. He is co-editor of The Civil Society Reader and Beyond Tocqueville: Civil Society and the Social Capital Debate in Comparative Perspective
Dean R. Hoge is Professor of Sociology at The Catholic University of America. He has published widely on American religion, American churches, youth, and value trends. His co-authored books include International Priests in America: Challenges and Opportunities and Plain Talk about Churches and Money.

Table of Contents

Introduction     3
Becoming American     23
Profiles in Diversity     57
Sources of Social Capital     91
Immigrant Worship Communities in the Public Square     115
Building Civic Skills     151
Who We Are     181
Conclusion     215
Notes     237
References     245
Index     255

Editorial Reviews

"Few issues are more compelling to contemporary American society than the emerging religious and social diversity represented by new immigrant populations. Foley and Hoge tackle the important question of whether recent immigrants are being effectively incorporated into American civil society through their religious institutions. They show that religious institutions both facilitate and constrain immigrant adaptation and offer a persuasive and nuanced 'institutional' perspective on these religious and social changes." — Rhys H. Williams, Editor, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

"Based on a survey of over 200 immigrant congregations in the Washington DC area, Foley and Hoge describe the complex ways in which newcomers to America interact with religion. To date, most of the research on religion and immigration has focused exclusively on ethnographic case studies. This book shows, however, that religion functions very differently depending on the social class background of immigrants and the factors that motivated their decision to come to the United States." — Donald E. Miller, Director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California

"Once again, academicians who thought religion is irrelevant have been proven wrong. In this carefully researched study, Foley and Hoge show that religion must be examined as part of the immigrant experience — not simply because immigrants are religious, but because their religious practices influence the social networks they form, how they connect with job opportunities, and whether they gain civic skills and become involved in the wider community. A "must read" for social scientists and policymakers." —Robert Wuthnow, author of American Mythos: Why Our Best Efforts to Be a Better Nation Fall Short

From the Publisher