Author Archives: Erica Gailing

The last chapter of God in Chinatown seems to tie the book together neatly with a small ribbon. Over the past few weeks, after reading individual stories of Fuzhounese, exploring various histories in relation to religion and several religious organizations, … Continue reading →

Chinatown’s religious life is a landscape indeed: made up of many intertwined elements coming together to make a beautiful, expansive scene. I found it particularly striking that although we may compartmentalize religions in the U.S., it is not always so … Continue reading →

As I read this chapter entitled “Transnational Ties,” I couldn’t help but picture a giant, playful game of tug of war. Each immigrant that emigrates to the United States is constantly pulled by ways of his or her old country … Continue reading →

The part of Chapter 3 about Kosher Homes and Racial Boundaries that struck me the most was the segment related to culture, and how the Hassidic and Black communities think of this word in such different ways. This was interesting … Continue reading →

The New York City Muslim World Day Parade fits right into our previous discussion of both the festivals of Mexican Americans for Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Italian Americans for Our Lady of Mt. Caramel. It is an Islamic … Continue reading →

I found Chapter 5, regarding race and prejudices that exist, to be both extremely interesting and shocking. I had always considered racism to be a thing of the past, a mere distant and painful memory of the difficult fight for … Continue reading →

Erica Gailing Response to Ch. 1-2 of The Madonna of 115th Street Our Lady of Mount Caramel, which is the focus of chapter 1, is a very significant figure in my family. It was so interesting to read about the … Continue reading →