PHILADELPHIA _ The red-brick apartments on South Sixth Street squat side by side, braced against the wind and snow. An overturned blue armchair, missing two wooden legs, has crashed against a metal grate. A wind-blown plastic bag sends two sparrows flitting to the curb.
But one step through the door of the red and gold temple on the corner of this South Philadelphia block, and all is instantly quiet.
A sign at the top of the stairs reads: "Take Off Your Shoes." A golden shrine, covered with lilies and purple orchids, holds a white stone statue of the Buddha. Low tables and cushions line the wall. A barefoot monk named Muni Rath pads across brightly colored woven mats that cover the tiled floor.
The space may seem surprising _ surreal, even. But for many people, it's home.
As migrant populations in Philly have increased, so have linguistic and cultural differences, and some of the city's newest East and Southeast Asian residents are struggling to find places where they feel safe, supported, and included in community life. Now, their desire for the familiar has them turning to religious spaces.
