Immigration and Faith

Today, we interview Suzette Malong, a family friend, who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines. We talk about the challenges that she faced when she immigrated to the US and talk about how her faith played a role during those difficult times. We also examine some significant differences about how faith is expressed in various cultures. If you or someone you know immigrated, it would be interesting to engage them in conversation about some of these questions:

• How has your culture influenced your faith life?
• What were your expectations or held beliefs about living in the United States?
• What was it like living here initially?
• What role did your Catholic faith play during this stage of your life?
• Have you looked at immigration as a trauma and why do you think immigrants may not perceive it as a trauma?
• What are some notable differences in how you experience faith and church life in the United States compared to back home?
• What are the differences of how you practice your faith in the United States compared to back home?
• What are some ways you’ve held onto your faith and culture?
• How would you like to see the church address immigration and support immigrant families in the parish?