Asian Religions in America : A Documentary History

Asian religions have a long and intriguing history in America.

For over two centuries, Asian immigrants have been coming to America and bringing their religions with them.

Some Americans have reacted with alarm to the arrival of "heathen" religions on American shores, while others have taken refuge with lamas from Tibet, yogis from India, and Zen masters from Japan.This study shows the breadth and depth of the American encounter with Asian religions.

Ranging from 1784 to the present, it features over one hundred excerpts and dozens of illustrations drawn from literature, art, music, sports, philosophy, theology, politics, and law.Selections discuss Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Shinto, Confucianism, and Taoism and their places in the American religious landscape.

Martial artist Bruce Lee, Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist, Beatles star John Lennon, Chinese-American writer Amy Tan, African-American activist Frederick Douglass, Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh, and dozens of lesser-known immigrants and Asian Americans are all represented.