Inspired by B.R. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism, Dalit immigrants established Buddhist communities across the United States that linked spiritual practice with social justice and anti-caste advocacy. Beginning in the 1990s, these organizations created spaces that connected Buddhist teachings with civil rights activism and community empowerment. The movement reached institutional maturity with the founding of the Ambedkar Association of North America in 2008, giving Ambedkarite Buddhism a permanent organizational presence and strengthening the visibility of Dalit voices within American religious life.
