Race, Place and Religious Labor: A Book Launch Event for “The Making of American Buddhism”

Join Dr. Scott Mitchell and Chenxing Han for a thought provoking conversation on race, place and religious labor to celebrate the launch of Dr. Mitchell’s book The Making of American Buddhism. This event will take place on May 24 at 1pm PST on zoom.

As of 2010, there were approximately 3-4 million Buddhists in the United States, and that figure is expected to grow significantly. Beyond the numbers, the influence of Buddhism can be felt throughout the culture, with many more people practicing meditation, for example, than claiming Buddhist identity. A century ago, this would have been unthinkable. So how did Buddhism come to claim such a significant place in the American cultural landscape?

The Making of American Buddhism offers an answer, showing how in the years on either side of World War II second- generation Japanese American Buddhists laid claim to an American identity inclusive of their religious identity. In the process they created a place for Buddhism in America. These sons and daughters of Japanese immigrants—known as “Nisei,” Japanese for “second-generation”—produced the Berkeley Bussei, a magazine published from 1939 to 1960. In the pages of the Bussei and elsewhere, these Nisei Buddhists argued that Buddhism was both what made them good Americans and what they had to contribute to America—a rational and scientific religion of peace.

Dr. Mitchell and Chenxing Han will discuss the book as well as larger themes of race and American Buddhism.

Register for the event here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/

Pre-order the book from OUP:
https://global.oup.com/

Chenxing Han

Scott Mitchell