Religious And Ethnic Groups : Asians And Buddhism

The way Hinduism and Buddhism entered Southeast Asia was not the same, as well as when it entered and its influence of Indian culture that emerged into the area. Civilizations in Southeast Asia focused on an appreciation to nature, which resulted in a harmonious and equal relationship between man and nature. Southeast Asia had been depicted and known as the “golden island.” These Southeast Asian civilizations were characteristically composed from Hindu and Buddhist ways of life that influenced its people greatly. As Buddhism processed its way into Southeast Asia, the religion became culturally grounded once the people practiced it. Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia were influenced by Indian culture, which was accepted by the rulers

Asian immigrants raised their children on the values of filial piety. Filial piety is based on Confucianism ideology which is one showing respect to one’s parent. American-born children are raised with two values which are Confucianism and the American values. The American values allow an individual to make their decisions either in their career, marriage, or lifestyle. Unlike, the American values, Confucianism decisions are decided by the parents, which have created tension in both generations. The immigrant parents stress the importance of a proper education to their children because the parents did not have the opportunity for education. Education was a privilege meaning only the families that had money could send their children to school. The parents began working at a young age to support their family and maintaining the household was more important than education. The immigrant parents are motivated by the “American Dream” instead of a financial benefit, the better the education and the employment, the more opportunities that would be offered. A person without a proper education would not succeed in life compared to the ones that have an education.

The Asian group has strong standards regarding academic success. The United States Census Bureau reported that the percentage of Asian Americans to possess a bachelor’s degree or higher increased by 54% which shows a significant increase within the past 20 years (United States Census Bureau, 2016). Throughout much of Asia, children are taught at an early age to believe that education is the only path to success. While they are a distinct minority, their indicators of success in terms of education and future income occur because of the unique style of parenting which is based on the belief of the philosopher Confucius. Within their culture, they are taught to work on self-perfection which will help them achieve self-improvement in qualities such as diligence, determination, and concentration (Seal, 2010). Parents, family members, and their community assume the responsibility for teaching and disciplining children. Furthermore, they instill the belief that a child’s achievement or lack thereof is a direct reflection on the efforts of the entire family and community (Chen & Uttal, 1988). These types of demands coupled with academic

The California gold rush began when a gold nugget was uncovered in the American River during 1848. Not only did this discovery entice Americans from all over the United States to travel to California in hopes of making their own profit, but it also brought a torrent of Chinese immigrants to the United States between 1849 and 1882. At the time of the gold rush, China's economy was very weak. There were wars and famines occurring. When news of the gold rush reached China, many Chinese men set out to America with hopes of gaining wealth and returning back to their homes. “After the gold rush, Chinese immigrants worked as agricultural laborers, on railroad construction crews throughout the West, and in low-paying industrial jobs” (Chinese Immigration to the United States - For Teachers). Some even opened their own businesses.

The first and numerous Chinese immigration to North America began with the California Gold Rush that was around 1848-1855

When the California Gold Rush started in 1848, a wave of Chinese men immigrated to the United States to take up mining on their own or to seek employment with the mining companies. Then another wave of Chinese immigrants seeking employment occurred again during the building of the Intercontinental railroad between the years of 1863-1869. These Chinese immigrants worked at lower wages than other workers often in dangerous working conditions. However, their contributions played an important role in the building of the railroad.

Many immigrants such as Chinese, Japanese, Europeans began to immigrate to the United States in hope to achieve the American Dream where they become rich and wealthy during America’s gold discovery. The Chinese began immigrating to United States between 1840-1890s due to the political and social instability of China (pg.6). According to Mann, Numrich, and Williams in their article: “Buddhist, Hindus, and

Ronald Takaki, an academic scholar who helped pioneer the field of ethnic studies, quoted American politician Norman Mineta in Takaki’s book titled Strangers from a Different Shore. “When one hears Americans tell of the immigrants who built this nation, one is led to believe that all our forebearers [sic] came from Europe. When one hears stories about the pioneers going west to shape the land, the Asian immigrant is rarely mentioned” [Takaki 27]. Many history books leave out the role that Asian American immigrants played in the history of this nation such as the thousands that “helped to build the very transcontinental railroad referred to in the magazine’s announcement and [the] many that settled permanently in California” [Takaki 28]. American history has almost equated the term “American” with “white” or “European” and by doing so leave out the role that Asian Americans have played within the development of America. Now one must rethink the history of America but this time include the Asian American to fully understand the cultural diversity that led to the America known to the world today. The experiences of the various Asian groups- Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Asian Indian, and Southeast Asian- are all very different from each other, yet similar when conducting a cross-national comparison of these different groups of Asian

Asian immigrants did not start coming into America in big amounts until at least the 1850s. They came in search of the American Dream where they believed if they worked hard enough they would become

Who is an Asian American? The name “Asian American” holds different meaning to people. According to Tamura (2003), “Asian American is a relatively recent term that was first used by non-Asians and then adopted by Asian American themselves during the late 1960s in the heyday of ethnic and political activism” […] (Tamura, 2003). The simplest definition of an Asian American is an American with an Asiatic background. Therefore, making assumptions about an Asian would be absurd because the term is broad and covers many races. Behind the Asian identity are distinctions like nationality, origin, language, religions, and culture. Within the Asian ethnicity are races including Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos and more.

Throughout the book, Reid explores the very ideals and concepts of Confucianism and its relation to the Japanese society in which he encounters. His encounters bring a greater understanding of the Japanese culture and its relationship to the culture of more western nations. The book explains the ideals of respect, responsibility, and family dynamics within the Japanese culture, and their effects on Asian life.

Chinese immigration to the United States began in large number during the California Gold Rush. Many people came to the country hoping to find jobs and fortune for themselves and their families back in China. Among those immigrants many stayed in the country and others went back to China.

The spread of religion first began through contact with neighbouring countries which gradually expand throughout the years. Buddhism and Islam are one of the most widespread religions across Southeast Asian countries like Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Trade merchants and imperial support of the religion were major factors in the facilitation and localization of the spread of Buddhism and Islam within Southeast Asia. However, there were also limitations presented which hindered the development of each religion in within their countries as introduction of newer religions and changes to political and imperial power would have affected the progression to become fully localised pre-1800s.

Today, more than ever before, we talk about interreligious dialogue. Religious pluralism and multi culturalism have seen a rapid growth, particularly, in the Western countries .As a result of globalization and migration our contemporary world become more aware of the importance of interreligious dialogue. The fact that people of various religions and cultural backgrounds have come close to each other on the global stage, shows that an ongoing dialogue of informal nature has already begun.

The term Asian Values has various definitions. Generally, the phrase alludes to influences from Confucianism in particular, filial piety or loyalty towards the family, corporation, and nation; the forgoing of personal freedom for the sake of society 's stability and prosperity; the pursuit of academic and technological excellence; and, a strong work ethic together with thrift.