Buddhism was one of the fastest growing religions in the U.S..Buddhism has a long history in the United States and the Chinese Organization, the International Buddhist Progress Society, has built in Hacienda Heights, California, one of the largest Buddhist monastery in the western hemisphere, Hsi Lai Temple. But before talking more about Buddhism with a emphasis on the Chinese culture and how it transition to the United states, we first have to understand the story oof Buddha and the importance of the 4 noble truths....
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Buddhisim being established in america.
The Chinese were one the earliest of any Asian group to come to the United States in vast numbers. The first ship of Chinese arrived to California in 1849. This was just just a little
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Twent years following this act 420000 Chinese came to the United States. In 1990, the Chinese population had reached 921000. We never knew what percentage of them identified as Buddhist. But there are approximately 125 Chinese Buddhist organizations in the U.S.. but even with all these temples only on the important holidays in the Buddhist community's like Chinese New Year and Buddha's birthday you can find thousands of Chinese spending part of their day at one of these temples. But the rest of the year it is almost completely empty.
**** pg. 17 There are two really important characteristics that really helped shape the Chinese Buddhist experience in the United States. “First, the vast majority of Chinese Buddhists have not been forced to seek asylum in America from political upheaval.” This being said most Chinese Buddhist actually came just to better their education or find employment. So they were not forced from their land by war like other Buddhist cultures such as Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Sir Lanka. When they got here they did not have financial and psychological hardships such as the war refugees did. “Second because so many chinese have come to the united states for post graduate education, there are a great many highly educated individuals within the community.” The importance of this is basically education is the key to success. With so many chinese people with degrees it allowed their culture to flourish.