Immigrants, Religion, and Conservative Politics in the United States

Few U.S. institutions contribute as notably to immigrant political integration as religious organizations. Many of the churches that new immigrants join preach relatively conservative political and social views, but whether immigrants unanimously adopt these conservative views or instead slowly influence the general orientation of their churches remains unclear. How do religious institutions affect the political affinities of their immigrant members, and conversely, how do immigrants affect the political orientations of the denominations they join?

With support from the Russell Sage Foundation, Janelle Wong and Jane Iwamura will study the impact of the increasing numbers of Evangelical and Pentecostal Latino and Asian immigrants on the political power and policy positions of Christian conservatives in the United States. The researchers argue that the presence of new immigrant members may lead to a fracture in the conservative Christian base, especially regarding issues of race and more controversial public policies. The investigators’ multi-method approach will include site visits, in-depth interviews, and survey data analysis.