As their numbers rise, Asian Americans are contributing to the
diversity of the U.S. religious landscape. From less than 1% of
the total U.S. population (including children) in 1965, Asian
Americans have increased to 5.8% (or 18.2 million children and
adults in 2011, according to the U.S. Census). In the process,
they have been largely responsible for the growth of non-
Abrahamic faiths in the United States, particularly Buddhism and
Hinduism. Counted together, Buddhists and Hindus today account
for about the same share of the U.S. public as Jews (roughly
2%). At the same time, most Asian Americans belong to the
country’s two largest religious groups: Christians and people
who say they have no particular religious affiliation. According
to a comprehensive, nationwide survey of Asian Americans
conducted by the Pew Research Center, Christians are the largest
religious group among U.S. Asian adults (42%), and the
unaffiliated are second (26%). Buddhists are third, accounting
for about one-in-seven Asian Americans