Immigrant Religion in the U.S. and Western Europe: Bridge or Barrier to Inclusion?

Abstract

This article analyzes why immigrant religion is viewed as a problematic area in Western Europe in contrast to the United States, where it is seen as facilitating the adaptation process. The difference, it is argued, is anchored in whether or not religion can play a major role for immigrants and the second generation as a bridge to inclusion in the new society. Three factors are critical: the religious backgrounds of immigrants in Western Europe and the United States; the religiosity of the native population; and historically rooted relations and arrangements between the state and religious groups.

Assimilation Patterns of Migrant Students in China: An Exploration of their Implications for Mathematics Outcomes

“…Much of the empirical study undertaken in the United States, nevertheless, finds little evidence of downward assimilation, even for children of low-income immigrant parents (Foner and Alba, 2008). While all three types of assimilation occur, downward assimilation is the least likely.…”

Global Social Tolerance Index and multi-method country rankings sensitivity

“…These beliefs have commonly been associated with various forms of tolerance such as attitudes restricting the role of women in society (Seguino, 2011) and the acceptance and rights of homosexuals (Jäckle & Wenzelburger, 2015). Religion has also been linked to attitudes towards immigrants (e.g., Foner & Alba, 2008), and religious particularism has been linked to racial prejudice in Europe (Ekici & Yucel, 2015). Strict beliefs such as these may ultimately extend to a lack of tolerance of outsiders in general.…”

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“…Religion is centrally important to understanding European countries' controversies over their attempts to 'integrate' Muslims (Bader 2007;Foner and Alba 2008;Joppke 2009;Laurence 2012;Brubaker 2015). First, although European societies consider themselves broadly secular, Christian religions play influential institutional social and political roles, that matter irrespective of the actual number of practicing worshippers.…”

“…1 It also places the state's efforts to accommodate Islam as a minority religion at centre stage. Much research has focused on cross-national variations in the legal and institutional incorporation of Islam (Fetzer and Soper 2005;Joppke 2009), and whether religion is a 'bridge' or a 'barrier' to integration, to use Foner and Alba's (2008) formulation. Some argue that Islam is a 'barrier' and source of conflict because European societal institutions and national identities remain anchored to an important extent in Christianity and do not make equal room for Islam (e.g.…”