Chenxing Han, MA

on Raising the Voices
of Asian American Buddhists

There tend to be only "two Buddhisms" acknowledged in America: one of Asian immigrants and one of white converts. In mainstream media, one tends to be idealized and the other devalued. Can you guess which?

In this episode of Noble Mind, Chenxing Han shares about the diverse backgrounds and experiences of Asian American Buddhists that she encountered while conducting interviews for her new book, Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists. She discusses how these voices get erased from the mainstream story of western Buddhism and the history and important stories that get lost as a result. She describes her vision of a panethnic, pan-sectarian Asian American Buddhist identity, walking us through distinctions among first-generation, second-generation and multigenerational Buddhists in the US. Listen for her insights on coping with anti-Asian violence, finding your path as an Asian American, and learning what you can do to create more inclusive Buddhist communities.

Chenxing Han is a Bay Area writer whose work has appeared in Buddhadharma, Pacific World and the Journal of Global Buddhism, among many other publications. She earned an MA in Buddhist Studies from the Graduate Theological Union and spent a year as Chaplain Resident at a community hospital in Oakland before writing her first book, Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists.

Key Takeaways:

• How Chenxing grew up in a non-religious household and came to Buddhism gradually
• How Chenxing was inspired to write Be the Refuge as an alternative to the myth of "two Buddhisms" passed down in popular culture
• The incredible ethnic and religious diversity Chenxing encountered in conducting interviews for Be the Refuge
• How Chenxing defines different groups of Asian American Buddhists such as multigenerational trailblazers, second-generation bridge builders, and first-generation integrators
• How Asian American voices have been erased from the mainstream story of western Buddhism
  
• Chenxing’s take on the seeds of anger and aggression that exist in all of us (even Buddhists)
• Chenxing’s vision of a panethnic, pan-sectarian Asian American Buddhist identity
• Chenxing’s challenge to Asian American Buddhists to share their stories and work in community
• How Chenxing suggests coping with anti-Asian violence through ritual and shared spaces to grieve
• What white-convert Buddhist communities can do to create spaces that feel more welcoming, integrated and inclusive

Connect with Chenxing Han:  

• Chenxing’s Website
• Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists by Chenxing Han

You're Invited to May We Gather: A National Buddhist Memorial Ceremony for Asian American Ancestors

Resources Mentioned:

• Angry Asian Buddhist
• Pew Research Center 2012 Study of Asian American Religious Affiliations
• Ryo Imamura’s Letter to Tricycle
• Research by Ann Gleig
• American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War by Duncan Ryuken Williams
• Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm by Kazu HagaTzu Chi
• ‘Fatal Attack on Thai Man in San Francisco’ in The New York Times
• Drew Baker
• Theravada Buddhism
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Vajrayana Buddhism
• Shin Buddhism
• Metta or Loving-Kindness Meditation
• Buddhist Peace Fellowship
• Gary Snyder
• Jane Iwamura
• Pure Land Buddhism
• Audre Lorde
• Jess Morphew
  
• Thai Theravada Buddhism
• Zen Buddhism
• Vipassana Meditation