The "Religion, Immigration, Civic Engagement"(RICE) study, which I conducted with Michael Emerson at Rice University, examines changes to civil society as a result of recent immigration to the United States, looking specifically at immigrant religion and its connection to civic activities like volunteering and political participation. From 2007-2009 we conducted 207 in-depth interviews with a random sample of first- and second-generation immigrants, as well as a group of native-born Americans (third generation or higher). Together with a team of researchers around the country, we also studied twelve organizations (religious organizations immigrant ethnic organizations that are not religiously based). Findings from this new data collection will increase our knowledge about immigration, religion, and civil society, as well as the connections among them.

This research is supported by a grant from the Russell Sage Foundation.

Ecklund, Elaine Howard, Eva Shih, and Michael Emerson. "Rethinking the Connection between Religion and Civic Life for Immigrants: The Case of the Chinese Diaspora," under review.

Ecklund, Elaine Howard and Michael Emerson. "Are Immigrants 'Good' Americans? Initial Results from the Religion, Immigrant, Civic Engagement (R.I.C.E.) Study," University of Houston Center for Immigration Studies.

Ecklund, Elaine Howard and Jerry Z. "Religious Diversity and Community Volunteerism among Asian Americans," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 46(2): 233-244.

Cadge, Wendy and Elaine Howard Ecklund. "Religion and Immigration: Current Research and Future Directions," Annual Review of Sociology, 33: 17.1-17.21. Re-printed in Sociology of Religion: A Reader (2nd Edition) Allyn and Bacon.

Park, Jerry Z. and Elaine Howard Ecklund. "Family and Religious Socialization for Asian Americans," Sociological Quarterly, 48(1): 93-118.

Cadge, Wendy, and Elaine Howard Ecklund. "Religious Service Attendance among Immigrants: Evidence from the New Immigrant Survey-Pilot," American Behavioral Scientist, 49(11): 1-22.

Ecklund, Elaine Howard and Jerry Z. Park. "Asian American Community Participation and Religion: Civic 'Model Minorities?'" Journal of Asian American Studies, 6(1): 1-22 (lead article for issue).

Ecklund, Elaine Howard. "'Us' and 'Them:' The Role of Religion in Mediating and Challenging the Model Minority and Other Civic Boundaries," Ethnic and Racial Studies, 28(1): 132-150.

Ecklund, Elaine Howard. "Models of Civic Responsibility: Korean Americans in Congregations with Different Ethnic Compositions," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 44(1): 15-28.