The role of religion in ethnic self-identity : a Vietnamese community /

Rutledge has set as his purpose, the task of investigating the role that religion plays in the Vietnamese refugee community's adjustment to a new and different culture in Oklahoma City. Data for the study are drawn from personal interviews, participant observation, and archival research. The author first studies the social and economic characteristics of the Vietnamese community and notes that the Vietnamese in Oklahoma City are primarily well educated and urban oriented. In contrast to their reception in other urban centers in the US, they have been allowed to relocate here without negative reactions on the part of the host community. The main chapters of the book focus upon the content and role of Vietnamese religions. Rutledge provides detailed information on how the Vietnamese population employs religion as a strategic tool in maintaining ethnic self-identity and acquiring community acceptance in Oklahoma City. The author finds that the process of adjustment of this community involves only adaptation. This well-written work is a useful addition to the limited scholarly literature on refugee resettlement. The book will be of interest to students of Asian studies, sociology, anthropology, and religion at the upper-division undergraduate level and above.-H.S. Jassal, SUNY College at Cortland