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A Study Of The Functions Of Chinese Christian Church For Chinese Immigrants In America In The Process Of Assimilation

Posted on:2011-12-21Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:H CuiFull Text:PDF
GTID:2166360305999059Subject:English Language and Literature
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Earlier visions of assimilation insisted that immigrants had to shed off all of their own cultures or ethnic identify with receiving American cultures totally and uncritically in order to be accepted by American society. However, new concepts of assimilation under the growing interest in multiculturalism do not require the erasure of all signs of ethnic origins. Instead, it equates assimilation with changes that bring ethnic minorities into the mainstream of American life. Assimilation has become a selective process in which immigrants could selectively promote some cultures from the host society and also from ethnic society.In the two-way process of assimilation, religions play an important role in immigrants' lives. The U.S. keeps a strong religious culture in spite of the separation of religion from politics. Religions in American society are important not only as a set of formal beliefs, ideas and worships, but also for their influence on Americans' social life. The largest religion in the US is Christianity, practiced by the majority of the population and regarded as the "mainstream religion". Since Chinese do not have preexisted ethnic religion, Christian conversion helps Chinese to be free from religious discrimination while increasing the familiarity with the cultural dimensions of the U.S.The functions of Chinese Christian Church as an assimilation agency as well as bastion of preserving Chinese traditional cultures attract increasing interest by scholars from different fields. The regular activities organized weekly not only provide spiritual comfort and material assistance for Chinese immigrants but also selectively accept or reproduce essence of the American and Chinese cultures to cultivate a distinctive Chinese ethnic identity.
Keywords/Search Tags:Chinese Christian churches, Assimilation, Chinese cultures
PDF Full Text Request
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