Religious immigrants on Alice Island

The development of religious pluralism in the United States echoes the current tide of non-European immigrants. In order to prevent immigrants from flooding into Alice Island at the end of 19 and the beginning of the 20th century, Congress began to strictly restrict immigrants in 1924. 1965, the national assembly opened the border again, but the new law actually inadvertently gave almost all the places to non-Europeans, especially immigrants from Asia, South Asia, South America and Africa. They swarmed in through the open door. Today, the United States accepts about 65,438,000,000 legal immigrants every year, more than all immigrants in other countries combined. According to the census in 2000, the foreign-born population accounted for 65,438+04%, which is the highest proportion since the end of the Alice Island era. The highest peak is 19 14.7% in 00, and the lowest is14.7% in 970. Today's immigrants arrive in the United States no longer on tramp cargo ships, dressed in rags, and changed their names and surnames on Alice Island; Most of them fly by jet and wear clothes with Nike logo. Simply from the figures, we will live in another Alice Island era. Immigrants from Asia, South Asia and Africa brought eastern and subcontinent religions-Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and African interpretations of Christianity. The immigrants in the Alice Island era were either Christians or Jews, or disguised their familiar beliefs in order to achieve the desire of assimilation. Today's immigrants are rarely Christians or Jews, and they are glad to see that no one's beliefs need to be hidden in the countries they visit. A study conducted by the Hartford Institute of Religion in 20001illustrates the various influences of immigrants on religious practice: the proportion of "always using the piano or organ" in places of worship has gradually declined, from 89% in 1945 to 59% today, while the proportion of "always using drums or other percussion instruments" has steadily increased to 39%. New immigrants who came to the United States two centuries ago longed for the freedom to believe in Christianity according to their own wishes without state interference. Today's new immigrants yearn for the same freedom of belief, but often believe in other religions. As European immigrants have discovered, many new immigrants can openly and proudly practice their religion in the United States, which is impossible in their home country. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and other religions are now flourishing in the soil of freedom, just like the previous baptism, Methodism and congregations.