Cultural Immersion Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Cultural Immersion Experience - Essay Example Initially, prior to the event, one delved into a preliminary research on the religious beliefs and practices of Filipinos, particularly those who migrated in the United States. The first part of the discourse would therefore provide a brief overview of the culture of the Filipinos, specifically focusing on attending religious services. Subsequently, one would present the personal reflection of the cultural immersion experience by addressing specifically identified concerns. According to the study written and conducted by Smith, Denton, Faris & Regnerus (2002) entitled â€Å"Mapping American Adolescent Religious Participation†, the authors revealed that â€Å"the race of American adolescents influences their religious location and levels of religious participation† (p. 608). Measured in terms of percentage of racial groups attending religious affiliations, the report revealed that: â€Å"47.7 percent of African-American youth are Baptist; 55.7 percent of Hispanic youth are Catholic; 35.5 percent of Asian youth are Catholic, while 11 percent are Budhist† (Smith, Denton, Faris, & Regnerus, 2002, p. 607). In another study written by Melendy (2000), it was disclosed that â€Å"the vast majority of Filipino Americans are Roman Catholic, although about five percent are Muslim†¦Because the majority of early Filipino immigrants to the United States were single males, few Catholics attended church with any regularity. Once families began settling in the United States, however, religion became a central component of family and community life† (Melendy: Religion, 2000, par. 1). (1) Description of the setting and presenting what was observed: The setting was at the Sacred Heart Parish which was located at E. Twiggs Street at North Florida Avenue, Tampa, Florida. I observed that during the mass, the celebrant of the mass, called the priest presided the whole ceremony; but there were some lectors and commentators who read gospel verses and lead