Chenxing Han – Press - CHENXING HAN

BOOK REVIEWS

Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“In this impressive debut, [former] Buddhist chaplain Han offers an illuminating analysis of the intersection of race and privilege within American Buddhist communities”
Read the full review on PW

Booklist

“Be the Refuge is first and foremost a celebration. Han’s interviewees descend from numerous countries, followed various paths to their faith, practice in different ways, and often question the validity of their own identity; but Han argues—compellingly and joyfully—that all contribute to a diverse and thriving American Buddhism.”
Read the full review on Booklist (subscribers only)

Kirkus Reviews

“Han’s debut book, which began as her master’s thesis, might have languished as a sociological study for academics if not for the advice of novelist Ruth Ozeki, who told her, ‘Make it an account of your curiosity. Put yourself in’”
Read the full review on Kirkus

Library Journal

“Han’s contribution to this overlooked aspect of the Asian American experience is an important one as it gives a voice to many invisible people in American society’”
Read the full review on LJ (subscribers only)

San Francisco Book Review (5/5 stars)

“In Be The Refuge, Buddhists from all backgrounds will find truth in the words of like-minded people from various Asian streams, dealing squarely with the complexity of ‘betwixt-and-between’ racial identities and life experiences”
Read the full review by Maileen Hamto on SFBR

Journal of Global Buddhism

“Han’s narrative is refreshing and gripping as she organizes her data in such a way you feel you are just following along on her deeply emotional journey of struggling to find peers, gradually feeling less lonely and less angry, and eventually losing a dear friend”
Read the full review by Dr. Hsiao-Lan Hu on Journal of Global Buddhism

Pacific World

“In ‘raising the voices of young adult Asian American Buddhists,’ Han has created a new American sutra that is at once memoir, ethnography, history, and cultural critique”
Read the full review by Dr. Adeana McNicholl on Pacific World

Reading Religion

“Han’s vivid storytelling shatters the racialized stereotype of ‘the superstitious Asian Buddhist’”
Read the full review by Dr. Jessica Zu on Reading Religion

The Existential Buddhist

“Readily accessible to all readers... personal, intimate, and urgent”
Read the full review by Seth Zuihō Segall on The Existential Buddhist

Chaplaincy Innovation Lab

“Han brings a chaplain’s skills of deep listening and storytelling, moving from dialogue and narrative to meaning-making and analysis”
Read the full review by Elaine Yuen on Chaplaincy Innovation Lab

Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association

“A celebration of Asian American Buddhist practice that seeks to boost their exposure and call for a collective Asian American Buddhist identity”
Read the full review by Tim Chu on APALA

STANFORD Magazine

“A young, diverse generation on who they are, where they’re going and how they build community”
Read the full review in STANFORD Magazine

Sumeru Books

“A celebration of Asian American Buddhist practice that seeks to boost their exposure and call for a collective Asian American Buddhist identity”
Read the full review by John Negru on Sumeru

Buddhadharma

“[T]his book burns with openheartedness, genuine curiosity, and the empathetic love that could only be the result of deep listening”
Read the full review by Joie Szu-Chiao on Buddhadharma

Tricycle

“Be the Refuge opens the door for deep and difficult conversations about race, religion, and representation”
Read the full review by Wendy Biddlecombe Agsar on Tricycle

Lion’s Roar

“Each section of Han’s groundbreaking volume traces the history of important Asian American Buddhists’ contributions in the West—from the initial trailblazers, to the bridge-builders, to the integrators, to the refuge-makers”
Read the full review by Tracy Franz on Lion’s Roar

Buddhistdoor Global

“A must-read for anyone who is interested in learning about the roots of Buddhism in the US, and who is invested in the future of Buddhism in this country”
Read the full review by Nina Müller on Buddhistdoor Global

ARISE (Awakening through Race, Intersectionality, and Social Equity)

“̌As a multiracial, convert Buddhist with Asian heritage, Be the Refuge offered me a new narrative and context for my experiences in American Buddhist communities”
Read the full reflection by Albert Karcher on ARISE

MENTIONS

March 2022 | Los Angeles Times

Buddhists Confront Anti-Asian Violence with Peaceful Perseverance

Deborah Netburn on
Read on LA Times

August 2021 | Institute of Buddhist Studies

Meet Chenxing Han, Our New Chaplaincy Program Coordinator

Gesshin Claire Greenwood on the Buddhist chaplaincy program at IBS in Berkeley
Read on Institute of Buddhist Studies

September 2021 | Buddhistdoor Global

US Based Research Finds that Gen Z Are Changing What Faith Looks Like

Nina Müller on a new generation of spiritual seekers
Read on Buddhistdoor Global

July 2021 | Lion’s Roar

Harvard’s Buddhism and Race Conference Experiences a Radical Re-Orientation

An interview with the co-organizers of Harvard University’s 2021 Buddhism and Race speak series, introduced by Pamela Ayo Yetunde
Read on Lion’s Roar

May 2021 | San Diego Public Library

NAB Stands Against Anti-Asian Racism & Hate

North Atlantic Books stands against the violence and racism perpetrated against Asian Americans and in solidarity with Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.
Read on the North Atlantic Books blog

March 2021 | Tricycle

Addressing Violence Against Asian Americans

“Asian American Buddhists have made invaluable contributions to the development of American Buddhism. We should all recognize that and be grateful for it.”
Read on Tricycle

March 2021 | Young Buddhist Editorial

“Be the Refuge” Shines Light on Asian American Buddhism

Derek Tahara on the themes within, and writing process behind, Be the Refuge
Read on Young Buddhist Editorial

February 2021 | Buddhistdoor Global

Young Asian American Buddhists Celebrate a Year of Support and Connection through YBE Community

Justin Whitaker on the one-year anniversary of the Young Buddhist Editorial
Read on Buddhistdoor Global

February 2021 | Aunt Lute Books

New Book Out Now by Former Aunt Lute Staff Member

News and notes from the intersectional feminist publisher Aunt Lute Books
Read on Aunt Lute Books

February 2021 | North Atlantic Books

Letter from the Publisher: Be the Refuge

Tim McKee on the collective efforts that brought Be the Refuge into being
Read on the North Atlantic Books blog

January 2021 | Washington Post via Religion News Service

Millennial and Gen Z Buddhists Created an Online Forum to Explore Their Identity

Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil on how the Young Buddhist Editorial, founded by millennial and Gen Z Asian Americans
Read on Washington Post (subscribers only) or Religion News Service

January 2021 | Tricycle

Buddha Buzz Weekly

Emily DeMaioNewton and Karen Jensen on Tashi Wangchuk’s release, the Young Buddhist Editorial, and other uplifting news
Read on Tricycle

November 2020 | Religion News Service

Dying “the Buddhist Way” Gains in Hospice Centers in the West

Ken Chitwood on the emergence of Buddhist-oriented hospices in the United States and elsewhere
Read on Religion News Service

2018 | Wheel of Dharma

TechnoBuddha Conference 2018: Incorporating Buddhism into Our Daily Lives

Calvin Tamano and Kiyumi Nishida on Jodo Shinshu Center’s eleventh annual gathering of young adult Buddhists
Read on Wheel of Dharma

2017 | Runner’s World

Running for Her Life

John Brant on the extraordinary life of Amy Frohnmayer Winn
Read on Runner's World

2016 | The Atlantic

How Can South Africa Kickstart Its Tech Industry?

Rebecca Gibian and Diana Crandall on the rise of coding and programming organizations in Cape Town
Read on The Atlantic