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The term "Buddhism" starts to appear in English-Language dictionaries for the first time.
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Chinese workers and immigrants started to migrate to America during the Gold Rush. The Chinese Immigrants arrived in Hawaii and on the West Coast.
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The first Buddhist Temple was built in San Francisco,California by the Sze Yap company.
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During the first year of the Emperor Meiji's reign, the citizens of Japan began to immigrate to the United States to work on plantations in the Kingdom of Hawaii. -
By 1875, there were eight temples built in Chinatown which was located in San Francisco, California. -
During the 1880s, Japanese immigrant workers started to replace Chinese workers.
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The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in order to prevent Chinese workers from "competing" for jobs in the mining field. This was passed to help American workers and the Chinese government as it required certification that future immigrants were qualified to migrate. The act prohibited Chinese immigrants from becoming U.S citizens and limited the number of Chinese Immigrants allowed to enter the US.
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The first sanctioned Buddhist Temple was built in Hawaii. It was named "Hāmākua Bukkyo Kaido" but would later be changed.
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Japanese Buddhism was introduced to the United States at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1893 (Masatsugu, 2021).
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The Young Men's Buddhist Association was established. The association aimed to promote the teachings and practices of Buddhism among young men. This association played a role in fostering a sense of unity among young Buddhist individuals. -
Queen Liliuokalani attended the Hongwanji Gotan-E services, commemorating Shinran Shonin’s birth. The Queen Liliuokalani was accompanied by her former Hawaiian Buddhist friend, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Mikahala Robinson Foster -
The Hawaii Betsuin took two years to build and cost about 100,000 dollars.
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In the 1920s and 1930s, the arrival of Japanese-Zen master, Nyogen Senzaki became a key figure to the Zen Buddhism community. Senzaki traveled to give lectures, leading meditation sessions, and became one of the first Zen teachers to establish a Zen center.
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The Soto Zen Mission of Los Angeles (Zenshuji) was established which ultimately made it the first soto Zen Buddhist temple in North America. -
Christmas Humphreys founded The Buddhist Society in 1924. Humphreys played a pivotal role in promoting Buddhism and its teaching to the western world. This Buddhist society provided a platform for people to learn about Buddhism. -
Following World War II, 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated which affected American Buddhism. These Japanese Americans were arrested and placed in internment camps. This occurred after Pearl Harbor due to the fear that the US had regarding a security risk.
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The Buddhist Churches of America supported a study program in 1949. The Institute of Buddhist Studies was originally known as the Buddhist Study Center which was overseen by Rev. and Mrs. Kanmo Imamura at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple. -
The First Tibetan Buddhist was built and established by Geshe Wangyal.
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The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 abolished the national origins quota which had been in place since the 1920s. The Chinese population in America doubled within 10 years.
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Maezumi Roshi and his family established Zen Center of Los Angeles. This would go on to be one of several temples established by him throughout the United States. -
The Oahu's Byodo-In Temple was built as a tribute for the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to arrive in Hawaii in 1868. -
"The Three Pillars of Zen" which was published in 1969 by Phillip Kapleau sparked the interest of Zen Buddhism. -
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship was established by Robert Baker Aitken and Anne Hopkins Aitken. This Fellowship helps support victims of the war and initially bring peace
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Bhante Vimalaramsi was the first American born monk who has been named as the first U.S. Representative to the World Buddhist Supreme Conference in Kobe, Japan (Wikipedia). In 2011, he got the title of Sasana Tilakana by the Supreme Sangha Council of Bangladesh.