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Navigating faith in a New World: The Religious Challenges of African Migrants in Boston Massachusetts

Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The migration of Africans to the West part of the world has surged dramatically in recent decades, bringing vibrant cultural and religious traditions into new contexts yet posing significant challenges to religious identity and practice. This study addresses the critical research gap concerning how African migrants negotiate their faith journeys in Boston, Massachusetts; in Western churches that often reflect differing worship styles, theological perspectives, and cultural expectations. The objective is to explore religious challenges being faced by African migrants, focusing on their struggle to retain cultural authenticity while adapting to Western religious norms. Employing a correlational research method grounded in acculturation theory, the research analyses the tensions between assimilation, integration, separation, and marginalization experienced by migrants in religious settings. Key findings reveal a complex negotiation process whereby African migrants oscillate between maintaining traditional expressive worship and adopting structured Western liturgies, resulting in either the formation of independent African congregations or feelings of spiritual dislocation within Western churches. The study highlights the crucial role of church leaders and African diaspora churches in fostering inclusivity, cultural preservation, and social support. It recommends that Western churches intentionally create inclusive worship spaces that honour African religious expressions, thereby enabling migrants to preserve their spiritual identities while embracing their new environments, ultimately enriching the broader religious landscape.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22095214
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204202650
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