Buddhism Nears Mainstream in the U.S., Author Says

...After a long increase in native-born converts and an influx of hundreds of thousands of Asian immigrants who have established their own temples - it may be worth asking whether Buddhism has become much more a part of America's increasingly pluralistic religious mainstream. That question was put to Richard Hughes Seager, an associate professor of religious studies at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., and the author of a new book, "Buddhism in America," published by Columbia University Press, that is part of a series of concise but detailed studies of religion in the United States. In an interview, Professor Seager said he thought Buddhism in this country could no longer be described as an "alternative" faith primarily attracting seekers. "If you go through the immigrant communities," he said, "you're going to find people who really want mainstream status and who are working hard to get it.