Religion and ethnicity among new immigrants: The impact of majority/minority status in home and host countries

Research shows that religion continues to be an important identify marker f or new, immigrants in the United States. However, immigrant groups differ i n the ways they integrate religious and ethnic identities and the emphasis they place on each. In this paper, we argue that majority or minority statu s of their religious affiliation in the home and host countries is an impor tant. but overlooked, factor in understanding strategies concerning religio us and ethnic identities. By comparing two Chinese congregations, a Chinese Buddhist temple and a Chinese Christian church in Houston, Texas, we analy ze what happens when an immigrant group moves from majority status in the h ome country to minority status in the United States (Chinese Buddhists) and when a minority group (Chinese Christians in China) become part of the Chr istian majority in the United States. We conclude by arguing the importance of going beyond U.S. borders and taking into account factors in their home countries in attempts to understand patterns of adaptation of the new immi grants.