Essay Sample on Asian American Religions

Introduction

There are several Asian American religions in the United States. These religions are practiced within subsets of Asian Americans depending on where they originated from. The religions practiced include Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Shinto among others (Carnes and Tony). Most of these religious sects, like many others in existence, find themselves with the responsibility of taking care of the needy in the society and conducting outreach programs to better their immediate environment. They often participate in humanitarian services such as the provision of food, clothing, rehabilitation and even education within their communities. However, these Asian American religions are not as outward in their outreach communities as they should. It may be because of the distribution of its members in different suburbs of cities, closed nature of some sects such as Hinduism, or inadequate resources amongst other issues (Putnam et al). Some of them are in closed conclaves because of lingering historical oppression and segregation from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries when they first established themselves in the US.

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Times are changing and the religious sects, I must say, are threatened by modernization and secularism. The US is more liberal than the Asian region which the religions are a force used to rule. For example, most middle east countries use Islam and its doctrines as state tools to control its citizens. By law, deserting your religious faith is mostly punishable by death in most Islamic states. The young population of such religion feels oppressed, and when they get to the US, they become less devout and more secular than they would have been in their countries of origin. There is also active and passive discrimination in the US by their established population who do not share in the faith. Such implicit bias interferes with their outreach ministries, and they opt to conduct their activities within their populations.

Secularism and modernization have significantly affected Hinduism in the US. Most religions do not condone homosexuality and condemn it in their holy texts. In the United States, however, they have to realize that their members have the freedom of sexuality and that they should not in any way deny such individuals their freedom to associate with and marry whomever they choose. Jomarie Celasanz recounts growing up in a diverse ethnic community and shares the appalling prejudices that exist in the society. The fear of excommunication of LGBTQ individuals from church and appropriation of some cultural aspects of Asian religions by white individuals while they are ridiculing the subscribers to those religions and culture. It becomes quite trendy when a white person adopts a particular Asian culture like yoga but quite demeaning for Asians to practice in the open (Iwamura and Jane Naomi). With such secular culture, religions have to adjust their hardline positions on some issues that would otherwise undermine their congregations. In discussion #9 Cielito Fernandez contends the notion that with time religion will disappear from daily life. It is recognized that religion informs our societal mores and that there will be a semblance of faith in culture even when the belief is no longer practiced. A case in point is the Philippines where Christianity was used to colonize the region, and despite resistance and denunciation of this faith, Filipinos are still very faithful people in their modernity.

Corporations have also been not to overstep their mandates by being insensitive to religious sects in the USA. McDonald's for instance has been accused of desecrating Hinduism by exploiting one of their deities in its commercial products (Lee and Jonathan 80). The food chain failed to indicate that French fries it sold as vegetarian snacks had beef flavor something that is abominable in the Hindu religion and culture. American Eagle Outfitters have also been sued for using Lord Ganesha on its commercial products. Hindu Americans view commercialization of their gods as a form of colonization and interference with their identity by capitalism of the western world. (Joshi and Khyati)

Religious oppression and discrimination are common phenomena in the US since the arrival of different religious groups in the US. The US is predominantly Christian with embedded privileges at every level of the society. Other religions have to curve their niche and exert themselves despite the pervasive nature of the social inequities woven throughout social institutions as well as embedded within individual consciousness (Putnam et al.). It has been evident over the years that Christianity oppresses by marginalizing, excluding and denying the members and institution of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh religious groups in the society the privileges and access that accompany Christian affiliation. The oppression has retarded the development of these religious infrastructures and participation in outreach ministries over the years. Christianity has used the government structures, schools and even media to continue to assert its dominance on others.

It is not that Christianity as faith or belief should be held accountable for the oppression of other religion. It must be noted that the establishment of Christian hegemony has continuously undermined other religions whether it was intended to or not (Putnam et al.). The establishment has ensured that state and federal holidays are structured around the Christian faith. The Christians in the US have the privilege of erecting their places of worship in any neighborhood without undue harassment from neighbors or authorities. The same courtesy is not extended to Islam, Hindu or Buddhists. These individuals are questioned about their dressing and even praying. The police can stop and frisk them in airports without cause something that is quite unheard of with typical white Christians. In most states and federal schools, religious education which is mostly Christianity is taught indiscriminately to even those who do not subscribe to the faith. Such prescribed practices that are embedded in the fabric of American societies continue to undermine other exotic religions that are viewed as threats to the establishment.

Conclusion

Religious beliefs and culture are essential facets and identifiers of a society. It is egregious that in this modern era individuals can still be made to feel less important and subjected to undue oppression and discrimination because of their belief system. The United States Constitution recognizes the freedoms of every citizen to practice their beliefs, and it, therefore, behooves every individual to respect and ensure their fellow citizens are accorded due respect. Stereotyping of different cultures is a common practice in every setting but must be limited to when it demeans and contribute to the oppression of society. The US citizenry must commit to their civic duty of ensuring that every individual has a space to flourish without unwarranted interference. It will take time to deconstruct embedded prejudices but the institutions ought to establish new provisions that encompass all cultural views. For continuity in this more secularized society, religious groups must also metamorphose to capture the changing needs of communities.

Works Cited

Carnes, Tony. "Asian American Religions". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion, 2017. Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.502. Accessed 26 Nov 2018.

Iwamura, Jane Naomi. Virtual orientalism: Asian religions and American popular culture. Oxford University Press, 2011.

Joshi, Khyati Y. New roots in America's sacred ground: Religion, race, and ethnicity in Indian America. Rutgers University Press, 2006.

Lee, Jonathan HX. "Contesting Hindu material and visual cultures, forging Hindu American identity and subjectivity." Nidan: International Journal for Indian Studies 23.1 (2011): 73-84.

Putnam, Robert D., and David E. Campbell. American grace: How religion divides and unites us. Simon and Schuster, 2012.