The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Jessica Falcone

Cornell University
Hindutva and Vedanta Go to Camp: VHP and Chinmaya Mission Summer Camps in the Washington D.C. Area

Jessica Falcone spent the summer comparing two different Hindu summer camps in suburban Maryland. A doctoral student in Anthropology, Jessica used her fieldwork experience to conduct research amongst the Hindu immigrant communities from India living in the greater Washington D.C. area. Jessica worked with two camps: the Chinmaya Mission summer camp which has a more religious focus and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad camp which focuses more on Indian and Hindu identity. Jessica explored how these camps are used as environments in which to promote ethnic and religious identification in the next generation of American Hindus.

A copy of Jessica's paper can be requested directly from her: jessfalcone@yahoo.com