ZPI Short - Chenxing Han: A reading "Be the Refuge: Raising the voices of Asian American Buddhists"
ZPI Short Title Screen

More than two thirds of U.S. Buddhists are Asian American. But you’d never guess this from mainstream representations, which all too often whitewash the racial and cultural diversity of American Buddhist communities. This event introduces Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists (2021), which centers the contributions of Asian Americans to Buddhist communities in the United States. Join author Chenxing Han as she takes us on a journey through Be the Refuge, including the research and writing process and the major themes covered in the four parts of the book—Trailblazers, Bridge-Builders, Integrators, and Refuge Makers. Chenxing will also reflect on the impact of May We Gather: A National Buddhist Memorial Ceremony, which took place on May 4, 2021. Chenxing Han is a Bayarea based writer whose publications have appeared in Buddhadharma, Journal of Global Buddhism, Lion’s Roar, Pacific World, Tricycle, and elsewhere. She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MA in Buddhist studies from the Graduate Theological Union. After studying chaplaincy at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California she worked in spiritual care at a nearby community hospital in Oakland. Her first book, Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists, was published by North Atlantic Books in January 2021. She recently co-organized May We Gather: A National Buddhist Memorial for Asian American Ancestors. Buy Here

ZPI Short - Chenxing Han: A reading "Be the Refuge: Raising the voices of Asian American Buddhists"