Exploring the Role of Catholicism in Filipino American Community Volunteerism and Participation.

Filipino Americans are increasingly playing an important part in the demographic transformation of American Catholicism. However, little is known about the relationship(s) of Catholicism to Filipino American civic life. Drawing on survey analysis of the Social Capital Community Benchmark survey (SCCB), the present study explores the linkages between Catholicism, religiosity, and Filipino American community involvement. Findings suggest that being Catholic and religiously active can facilitate Filipino American community involvement. Significant differences were also found in the influence of religion on volunteering versus community participation indicating that part of the gap between Asian American Protestant and Catholic volunteering in previous studies may be due to methodological issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]