Project Overview

The Religion and Immigration Project at the University of San Francisco investigates the role of religion in the lives of new immigrants to the San Francisco Bay Area. Following Los Angeles and New York, San Francisco is one of the country's most ethnically diverse cities, serving as one of seven "gateway" cities for new migrants to the United States. The role of religion for new migrants is as visible as the hundreds of spires and domes, mosques, and storefront churches that meld into the milieu of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Project researchers study Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Mexican, and Salvadoran immigrant communities to assess how religious groups and communities encourage the participation of recent immigrants in the political, civic, and associational life of San Francisco and of the larger U.S. political/social system, as well as maintenance of involvement with the political and social systems of the societies of origin.

The project also analyzes the role of religion, religiosity, and religious communities as part of a transnational migration paradigm and a multidimensional approach to understanding political and cultural identities. Researchers from China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Mexico and El Salvador will collaborate with San Francisco-based researchers in analyzing transnational religious communities and networks.

In the first year of the study, researchers will conduct ethnographic research in Bay Area religious sites with high levels of migrant participants. The second year involves interviewing families and writing oral histories. In the final year of the study, the team plans to creatively channel its findings through theater productions, art exhibits, and film documentaries to supplement its academic production.

The project is designed to give voice to the unique needs and challenges of traditionally underserved ethnic minority immigrants. Collaborative, community-based endeavors are integral to the Religion and Immigration Project, and at least two working conferences that address migrant needs as defined by local religious and service agencies will be held each year.