The South Asian Religious Diaspora in Britain, Canada, and the United States

by Coward, Harold G.; Hinnells, John R.; Williams, Raymond Brady

• ISBN13: 9780791445105
• ISBN10: 0791445100
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-03-01
• Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr

Summary

This book explores the experience of religious communities that have migrated from South Asia (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) to live in Britain, Canada, and the United States, three countries sharing a common language (English) and an interwoven history. The work introduces the migration history of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs along with the cultural nuances of these traditions. The contributors discuss the various communities' experiences that grow out of or are related to religion. The book shows how traditions are reformed or reinvented and how they are passed on, both through the family and through institutions. Issues related to public policy and minority status are also addressed. While the main focus is on the Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities, specific sections also cover South Asian Christians, the Zoroastrian diaspora, and new religious movements in the west led by South Asians. The book strikes a balance between stories and statistics in order to emphasize the narrative of the immigrants' experience.

Author Biography

Harold Coward is Director at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. John R. Hinnells is Research Professor of Comparative Religion at the University of Derby, England. Raymond Brady Williams, LaFollete Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Wabash College in Indiana.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction: South Asian Religions in Migration	1	(12)
John R. Hinnells
South Asian Christians in Britain, Canada, and the United States	13	(22)
Raymond Brady Williams
The Zoroastrian Diaspora in Britain, Canada, and the United States	35	(20)
John R. Hinnells
New Religious Movements in the West Led by South Asians	55	(20)
Judith Coney
Part I: South Asians in Britain---Introduction	75	(70)
John R. Hinnells
Hinduism in Britain	89	(20)
Kim Knott
Muslims in Britain: Ethnic Minorities, Community, or Ummah	109	(18)
Jørgen S. Nielsen
The Growth and Changing Character of the Sikh Presence in Britain	127	(18)
Roger Ballard
Part II: South Asians in Canada---Introduction	145	(66)
Harold Coward
Hinduism in Canada	151	(22)
Harold Coward
The Muslims of Canada	173	(18)
Sheila McDonough
Sikh Religio-Ethnic Experience in Canada	191	(20)
Joseph T. O'Connell
Part III: South Asians in the United States---Introduction	211	(78)
Raymond Brady Williams
Negotiating Hindu Identities in America	219	(20)
Diana L. Eck
At Home in the Hijra: South Asian Muslims in the United States	239	(20)
Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad
Sikhism in the United States of America	259	(30)
Gurinder Singh Mann
Conclusion: Trajectories for Future Studies	277	(12)
Raymond Brady Williams
List of Contributors	289	(4)
Index	293