UC Berkeley Receives $500,000 Grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to Advance Religious Pluralism and Democracy
The Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative (APARRI) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support the project, Advancing Religious Pluralism and Democracy through Asian American and Pacific Islander Religions. Carolyn Chen serves as the Principal Investigator on the project (UC Berkeley), with Khyati Joshi (Fairleigh Dickinson University), Grace Kao (Claremont School of Theology), and Jane Iwamura (University of the West) as Co-Principal Investigators. The grant will be administered through the University of California, Berkeley, where APARRI is housed at the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion (BCSR) within the Center for Interdisciplinary Critical Inquiry (CICI).
The three‑year project ushers in a major new phase of APARRI’s work to broaden public understanding of the civic relevance and democratic contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) religious communities.
“This generous support from the Henry Luce Foundation strengthens APARRI’s mission to elevate the study and public understanding of Asian American and Pacific Islander religions,” says Carolyn Chen, Executive Director of APARRI and Co‑Director of the BCSR. “In a moment when religious pluralism and democratic values are under pressure, this work is more important than ever.”
The funded project brings together scholars, community leaders, educators, journalists, and public‑facing practitioners to explore how AAPI religious traditions—ranging from Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, and Indigenous traditions—shape civic life, belonging, and democratic practice in the United States. APARRI’s work will be carried out through several programs, including research and working group grants, a Media Fellows program, a book manuscript program, and a speaker series through the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion.
Together, these initiatives will commission new research, amplify public scholarship, nurture the next generation of scholars, and cultivate broad national conversations on religion and democracy.
About the Henry Luce Foundation
The Henry Luce Foundation seeks to enrich public discourse by promoting innovative scholarship, cultivating new leaders, and fostering international understanding. Its Religion and Theology Program supports work that advances public knowledge on religion, pluralism, and civic engagement.
