UNITED STATES, July 19, 2012 (huffingtonpost.com): (HPI note: we’re running several different reports on this Pew Study, as each highlights a different aspect of the report.) In a report on Asian America and religion published today, the Pew Research Center offers new data that illuminate the complexity and richness of our pluralistic democracy. Pew’s national survey is providing one of the first detailed glimpses into how Hinduism is practiced in the United States. While temples representing many strains of Hinduism have sprung up across the U.S. since 1965, the Pew report offers the first data on where American Hindus locate themselves on the broad and diverse field of Hindu belief. More than half (53 percent) identify as simply “Hindu,” but of the other half, about twice as many (19 percent) identify with the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism as with Shaivite Hinduism (10 percent). Smaller percentages identify with Vedanta philosophy (2 percent).
The Pew report also indicates how Hinduism is lived in the U.S. — how it plays out in the daily lives of individuals. The report tells us that nearly half (48 percent) of Hindus engage in daily prayer, and another third (32 percent) pray weekly or monthly. More than three quarters (78 percent) keep a puja (altar or shrine) in their home. A similar number (73 percent) believe in yoga as a spiritual practice, and more than four in 10 meditate daily (44 percent) or fast during holy times (41 percent).
To make the most of the Pew report, we need to bear in mind how the framing and phrasing of the survey can affect not only the data but also the conclusions some readers could draw from it. For example, consider the large majority of Hindus who have an in-home puja, where devotional activities can be carried out without being “affiliated” with a mandir (Hindu temple) or attending group worship. Researchers who measure religious engagement in Christian normative terms will inevitably under-estimate the religiosity of Hindus: Hinduism doesn’t have a weekly Sabbath like the Abrahamic faiths, and Hindus are as likely to worship at home or visit a temple to do darshan (the act of seeing and being seen by God), which they may not identify as attending a “service.”
Likewise, Pew found fewer Hindus (17 percent) than any other religious group felt “living a very religious life” was “one of the most important things in life.” But the number of Asian Americans who prioritized “being a good parent” (67 percent) and “having a successful marriage” (42 percent) outpaced the general public substantially. For Hindus, these are religious principles. Hindus recognize the concept of dharma — the obligation one has to family and community at various stages of life. In India, where most of Pew’s Hindu research participants grew up, one speaks not of religion or religiosity, but of dharma. Being a good parent and spouse are among the quintessential dharmic duties of a Hindu; to prioritize them is to “live a very religious life.”
Nearly a third (30 percent) of the Hindus Pew surveyed say they sometimes attend services of “different religions.” That does not necessarily mean that they are worshiping outside Hinduism. Hinduism is no more monolithic or unified than any other religion. Vaishnavites and Shaivites may see each other’s houses of worship as a “different religion.” Also, Hindus of one type may attend another’s mandir simply because it is the only geographically convenient temple. Pew found 73 percent of Hindus and 76 percent of Buddhists surveyed “celebrate Christmas.” But even assuming that for most Hindu Americans, “celebrating Christmas” is more about trees and gifts than the Baby Jesus, this is a striking figure. The framers of the Constitution could not have imagined America’s religious diversity today, but they would surely rejoice to see different religious groups celebrating with one another.
Pew concludes that Asian American religions are being transformed in the United States. The development of American Hinduism is being influenced by the dominant culture and shaped by the experiences of young Hindus raised in a Christian milieu. And Asian American religions are also transforming the United States.