Faith, Family, and Filipino American Community Life

STEPHEN M. CHERRY is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Houston–Clear Lake. He is coeditor of Global Religious Movements across Borders: Sacred Service.

"Well-written and informative, this book is an incredibly in-depth, sensitive look into the worlds of Filipino lives, families, and religious practices. Using multiple sources of data, Cherry puts Filipino religious lives in context, helping us get up-close views that bring social patterns to life."- Michael O. Emerson (Rice University) "Cherry's book captures the heartbeat of the Filipino immigrant community in America by its focus on how religion and family impact American civic life and the future of American Catholicism." - Helen Rose Ebaugh (author of Religion and the New Immigrants) "Using interviews and surveys, sociologist Cherry presents a thick description and analysis of the interplay of faith, family, and community life among the first generation of Filipino Americans in Houston, Texas. A significant contribution to immigration, ethnic/multicultural, Asian American, and religious studies. Highly recommended."(Choice) "A clear and honest examination of the Filipino Catholics in America. Cherry has provided a valuable contribution to the study of Asian Americans, migration, and religion." (Review of Religious Research) "Stephen Cherry offers readers a close look at an immigrant group in the United Statesvthat has been significantly understudied relative to its size and importance. Cherry makes a strong argument for the significant impact of the Filipino-American community on American civic life and onAmerican Catholicism." (Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion) "Cherry’s work is an important contribution to the literature on immigrant religion and religious communities. This work is suitable for multiple readerships from undergraduate studies and graduate seminars in religion, race or ethnicity, culture, and Asian American studies." (American Journal of Sociology) "Cherry expands the possibilities for a truly public sociology, and thereby, offers a long awaited, unusually rich analysis of contemporary American Catholicism from Filipino epistemological perspectives." (Sociology of Religion)

• AcknowledgmentsAbbreviations1. Faithfully Filipino and American2. Catholic Culture and Filipino Families3. Community of Communities4. Communities in Conflict5. Building Centers of Community6. Caring for Community7. Protecting Family and Life8. Growing Presence and Potential ImpactsMethodological AppendixNotesSelected BibliographyIndex