The State of the

Asian American
Christianity:
A Brief Introduction

Sam George, PhD

Executive Director
Parivar International

1. Fastest Growing Group in

US

Asians overtake Hispanics

Pew: 2013

American Community Survey 2013

Asian American Dispersion

2. More Diverse than you

think
Continental grouping is problematic
Different in languages, cultures,
nationalities, immigration, religion,
economic, values etc.
Over 40 ethnicities/100 languages
Broad 4 sub groups (E/SE/S/PI)
US Census only mentions 11
83% belong to 6 major ethnicities
E.g. Bhutanese-Nepali refugees

Asian American Identity

3. Most educated & highest income

Highest college graduates and PhDs
Median Household income ($66K in
2012)
Goes for high paying professional jobs
Elite from Asia migrate
Dual income households
Values successful marriage
Focus on next generation
Perpetuates model minority myth

AAs lead in Education &

Income

Parental Pressures

Pew Global: 2006

Life Goals: AA vs. General

Public

Pew: 2012

Outmarriage among AAs

Pew: 2012

Visas for highly skilled

workers

Pew: 2012

4. Generations Matter
1st /1.5 /0.5 /2nd /3rd Generations

Pew: 2013

5. Issues facing AA Community

Growing Marginalization
Caught in race violence
AA kids are targeted in colleges
Family violence & breakdown
Rising poverty levels
Alarming rate of suicides
Shame hides mental illness
Education levels decline
Uninsured, unemployed, homeless

Juvenile Delinquency
88%

90%

84%

81%
72%

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%

37%

30%
20%
10%
0%

WHITE

Non-White

Hispanic

Black

Asian

Immigration Reform
Asian American stands for
Immigration Reform
6% of US population, but 40% of
current backlog (4.2 Million)
84% of employer based visa backlog
Family category important to Asians
Overstay is common
Undocumented Asians in the US

6. Asian Faith Affiliation

Asia land of religions
Immigrants more religious in
the US
Asian religions are flourishing,
but only a generation deep
de-Europeanizing of
American Christianity

Pew: 2013

Pew: 2013

Pew: 2013

Pew: 2013

Conversion among AAs

Pew: 2012

7. Asian American
Christians

42% AAs self-identify as

Christian (22% Protestant &
19% Catholic)
Growth of Christianity in
Asia
1/3 AAs do not belong to
religion they were raised in
AA Christianity is growing
even as Christianity is
declining in the US

Asian American Christians

Nov 2013

Asian American Churches (Est.)

#

Ethnic Asian Churches

Churches

Korean American

4653

Chinese American

1250

Indian American

1100

Filipino American

870

Vietnamese American

550

Total Asian American

Churches

10,000+

Lausanne/EAN/L2F

# of KA churches in the US
5000

4653

4500

41824146

4000

3528
3334
3288
2988
2617

3500
3000
2500
2000

1700

1500
1000

1000
600

300
500
150
30
0
1967 72 75 80

85

89

91

94

97 2000 03

06

09

12

Lausanne/BGC: 201

Next Generation Pan Asian

Churches
300
250

227

246

200
150

150
100
50
0

79
40
17
1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2013
DJ/L2F

Strength of AA Churches

Deep spirituality
Family oriented
Hospitality
High church attendance
Evangelistic
Links to Church in Asia
Entrepreneurial
Multi-religious societies

Trends of AA Christianity

Asian immigration will continue

Population growth & diversity
Exodus of next generation to continue
More pan Asian Churches emerge
Multiethnic/multi racial congregations
Mainstream Churches to recruit AA
leaders
Address real social problems
Increased global engagement

Challenges before AA
Christianity

Perpetual foreignness
High ethnocentrism
High cultural orientation
Islandization of AA
Churches
Flight of the next generation
Pastoral leadership gap
Pan-Asian Christian platforms
Socio-economic-political
engagement

Conclusion

Future of AA Christianity is bright

Bring our strengths to the table
Face other challenges head on
Need to integrate more
Generational transition
Draw from centers of Christian growth
in Asia
Do not hide your light Shine your
light before othersglorify your Father
in heaven (Matt 5:15, 16)