Janelle Wong, “Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change” (Russell Sage Foundation, 2018)

Surprising to many, white Evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election at a higher rate than any candidate in the previous four presidential elections. At the same time, the Evangelical community is changing, becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. How will this new diversity change Evangelical politics, if at all?

Such is the focus of Janelle Wong’s new book, Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change (Russell Sage Foundation, 2018). Using a variety of survey data and original interviews, Wong shows that non-white Evangelicals are not nearly as conservative as their white Evangelical counterparts, yet they are more conservative on many issues than their racial and ethnic compatriots. The findings from the book contribute to studies of religion and politics as well as the study of immigrant and ethnic politics.

Wong is professor of American Studies and Asian American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park.

This podcast was hosted by Heath Brown, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, John Jay College and the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. You can follow him on Twitter @heathbrown.

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