"Ain't I a Child of God?"

• Published in: Mission studies Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 364 - 376
• Main Author: McLean-Farrell, Janice A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Netherlands Brill 19.11.2014
• ISSN: 0168-9789; 1573-3831; 0168-9789
• DOI: 10.1163/15733831-12341356

In recent years much has been written about new immigrants to the us, and how they are adapting and adjusting to life within their new context. In the majority of these studies, attention has been given to examining residential patterns, employment trends, and the "coming of age" experiences of the second generation. What is noticeably absent however, has been the role that home life and religious institutions play within this process of adjustment/adaptation of the immigrants, especially for youth. In this paper, I will address this oversight by arguing that because the home and church contexts are constructed within a migration framework that also governs the lives of immigrants, they provide us with an important lens through which to examine the adaptation process. By analyzing qualitative research data collected amongst West Indian immigrant immigrants in New York City, I will propose that the home and religious contexts assist immigrants and the second generation in constructing and articulating matters of gender, while simultaneously shaping the way in which they live out their Christian faith and conduct mission in the wider society.