America

America. In Latin America Buddhism has made little headway. In north America and Canada, however, its impact has been great, particularly in recent decades, and all the major Asian schools and traditions of Buddhism are now represented. The first Buddhist institution in north America was a temple built in San Francisco in 1853 in order to serve the needs of immigrant Chinese labourers. The spread of Buddhism over the next hundred years was largely due to the arrival of immigrant groups from various parts of Asia, culminating in a wave of refugees from Indo-China in the wake of the Vietnam War. Many Tibetan lamas fled to north America following the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, and Tibetan Buddhism currently enjoys a high profile. Apart from immigrants, many Westerners have converted to Buddhism and influenced the pattern of its development. This group, typically white and middle-class, favours democratic as opposed to hierarchical structures for Buddhist groups and a greater role for women. It is also more concerned with social and political issues. The number of Buddhists in the United States is currently estimated at around 3–5 million. The situation overall in north America remains fluid as Buddhism continues to adapt itself to Western customs.