Question- Second Post

Do Congregations of religious groups serve different functions for new immigrants than for members whose families have been living in the society for several generations? Answer:The congregations in areas that are predominantly mono-religious very often open their arms to new immigrant’s families for a variety of reasons: to enhance the growth of the congregation as members of the congregation become literate and Americanized they tend to migrate to a more ethnically diverse setting. When ever possible new immigrants tend to use the religious school as the primary form of education, strengthening religious beliefs, customs, and social behavior, very often long-term relationships never stray far from the neighborhood. As long as the neighborhood tends to stay mono-ethnic little movements occurs. When new ethnic groups that has new values and customs migrate into the neighborhood opening it up to new experiences and cultures. The young tend to migrate out. The neighborhood hub tends to keep the traditions alive and the new members of the community tend to take on some of the flavor of the neighborhood. Religious institutions find that they have to accommodate for the new minority which in some cases becomes the majority. New houses of worship are built for the use of the new congregates. When the religion is the same religious services in the old house of worship accommodate the languages of the new immigrants sharing the same facility. In this case the religious customs meet to accommodate the new groups. When I came to the United States from Portugal, my parents moved into a primarily Portuguese neighborhood in Mount Vernon. Some years later, when my parents were financially able to move up we moved to and ethnically diverse neighborhood. My mother will sometimes go back to our old church for religious services. Though she finds it’s easier to go to the local church, I myself though not extremely religious prefer to use my local church. At the time of my marriage I chose to use a church of my own picking for its inner beauty.Even though, my mother would have preferred and requested our Old Portuguese Church.