In chapter 5 we are faced with the question of religion and what defines how religious one is. Coming from communist China where religion was very oppressed, many immigrants were unsure of their religious affiliation. This was partly due to the fact that in China a religious institution had to be approved and affiliated with the government so at times people would have Buddhism and Taoism mixed together under a Buddhist affiliation.
A common theme explored in this book along with everything else we’ve read this semester is the purpose of religion on immigrants. Religion brings them together and forms a community. As stated, “The religious community…clearly serves as a site in the immigrant journey for fellow believers” (Guest 136). These communities became “central networks for survival, both material and emotional” (Guest 145). They also helped serve as a place where people could go to find more information on “jobs, housing, health care, and coping mechanisms for dealing with any of the struggles of daily life” (Guest 131).
One interesting thing that I noticed is that these communities also form a link between the mother country and the new world. A great example being the He Xian Jun Temple. Master Lu built 2 of them, one in New York and the other in Fuqi Village. Master Lu was only able to get to New York safely with the help of the Chinese people and of course He Xian Jun, and I found it very gracious of him to pay back every single penny that he borrowed and then build these 2 temples in honor of He Xian Jun. It shows that he wasn’t there to con them and was truly a devout man.
After reading one of his little excerpts a question arose in my mind that was also sparked partly by our class discussions; US citizenship. Master Lu has lived solely as a permanent resident for 11 years without applying to become a US citizen simply because he can’t speak the language. Now, is that wrong of him? Should he make the effort to learn English and become a citizen if he chose to live and work here?
