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Editor's note:
Immigration is everywhere in news, especially debates about the U.S. southern border. The images and stories that dominate most coverage make immigration, migration and asylum-seeking seem like things that happen at the edge of the country, or in major cities. And they do – but that’s not the whole picture.
Osamamen Oba Eduviere and Brady G'Sell are social scientists at the University of Iowa, where they’re part of a research project called “Homebuilding in the Heartland.” About 1 in 10 Black immigrants who come to the U.S. make their home in the Midwest, where they – and their contributions to the economy – are often overlooked.
As newcomers struggle to build a new home away from home in places like Iowa, religious organizations often play a role, not just in terms of donations and physical help, but spiritually and emotionally. Religious places are often “safe spaces for African migrants’ stories,” the pair writes, “highlighting the problems they are facing as individuals and as a community, and thinking of ways to proffer solutions.”
Religion News
Australia to ban doxxing after pro-Palestinian activists publish information about hundreds of Jews
The Australian government says it will outlaw doxxing — the malicious release online of personal or identifying information without the subject’s permission — after pro-Palestinian activists published personal details of hundreds of Jewish people in Australia. By Rod McGuirk/The Associated Press
For Black ‘nones’ who leave religion, what’s next?
When Black Americans leave religion, they rarely leave it altogether. But even as they retain elements of Christian culture, what other communities are they embracing beyond the church? By Kathryn Post/Religion News Service
Nineteen priests kicked out of the country, dozens of incidents of harassment and church desecrations, rural areas lacking worship and social services: the situation for Catholic clergy and faithful in Nicaragua is worsening in 2024, according to exiled priests and human rights advocates. By Giovanna Dell’Orto/The Associated Press
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opens stone-built Hindu Temple in UAE ahead of coming elections
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Middle East’s first traditional stone-built Hindu temple on Wednesday, internationalizing both his reelection campaign and his effort to push secular India into a Hindu state. By Jon Gambrell/The Associated Press
Peace pilgrimage takes up war in Gaza as a civil rights issue
Many Black Americans view the Palestinian cause in the context of the African American experience of oppression. This has on occasion strained relations with American Jews. By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
The documentary largely fails to explore its porous boundary with Christian nationalism. By Tyler Huckabee/Religion News Service
Two scholars who study death rituals explain that the corpse is considered spiritually polluting in many religious traditions while the moon holds a sacred place. By Joanne M. Pierce and Mathew Schmalz for The Conversation
According to the Chinese zodiac signs, each year in the lunar cycle is associated with a particular animal. The cycle repeats every 12 years. By Mario Poceski for The Conversation
Members of Cambodia's Chinese community, wearing masks and costumes of their ancient gods, celebrate Lunar New Year Friday morning, Feb. 9, 2024, in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, ahead of Lunar New Year. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
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