How do cultural institutions double as political spaces in immigrant communities?

South Asians view cultural institutions such as temples, mosques, and gurdwaras as more than just spiritual centers. They have evolved into cultural centers, and even political ones. They help preserve language, festivals, and communities, and serve as an anchor for immigrant families to their home countries. These institutions serve as a way to foster diasporic identity by preserving their culture while adjusting to life in the United States.

In Modernity at Large, anthropologist Arjun Appadurai explains the idea of “ethnoscapes” as one of five global flows that characterize globalization. He describes them as fluid sites where immigrants maintain ties to their homelands while redefining belonging in a new political landscape.

This can be seen in various institutions that have become civic engagement hubs. For instance, in gurdwaras across California’s Central Valley, Sikh leaders have hosted “Know Your Rights” workshops for Punjabi farmworkers—many of whom are undocumented or face language barriers. Furthermore, in mosques in Chicago and New York, volunteers regularly organize voter registration drives and host forums with local candidates to discuss policies affecting immigrant communities.

These examples show how ethnic institutions adapt and evolve, and become what anthropologist Clifford Geertz would call “thick descriptions” of how communities live out culture—not just through ritual, but through civic participation and political strategy. For South Asians to adjust to a new culture while preserving their own, these religious spaces and cultural institutions serve as the perfect bridge to connect both worlds.