Veiled Politics: Experiences with Discrimination among Muslim Americans

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 629-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karam Dana ◽  
Nazita Lajevardi ◽  
Kassra A.R. Oskooii ◽  
Hannah L. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Muslim American ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Institutional Discrimination ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Muslim American Women

AbstractAnecdotal evidence suggests that Muslim American women who wear the hijab may be particularly vulnerable to the experiences of stigmatization because the hijab represents one of the most obvious and dominant markers of “otherness.” Yet, extant research has surprisingly neglected to systematically examine how such external markers of difference can increase perceptions of discrimination. Drawing from two nationally representative datasets, we examine perceived discrimination among Muslim Americans, and find that veiled women report experiencing both societal and institutional discrimination at much higher rates than their counterparts. In fact, our findings show that the hijab is one of the most important predictors of self-reported discrimination amongallMuslim Americans. Interestingly, however, we also find that men are more likely than women to perceive discrimination once we account for the role of the hijab. Our analysis makes an important contribution to existing research by highlighting the unique experiences of a religious minority group and identifies one important and previously underexplored mechanism by which individuals may be targeted for discrimination—the hijab.

Democrat, Republican, or None of the Above? The Role of Religiosity in Muslim American Party Identification

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt A. Barreto ◽  
Dino N. Bozonelos
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Party Identification ◽  
The United States ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Muslim American ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Partisan Identification ◽  
American Party

AbstractThe role of religiosity as an important predictor of partisan identification has been well researched over the years, with most of our understanding of religion focused on Christianity. However, it is not clear that religiosity operates equally for the partisan identification of non-Christian religious groups. One of the most discussed religious minority groups in the United States today is Muslim-Americans. Numbering between 2.3 million and 7 million, Muslim-Americans have been the focus of considerable debate regarding religion and American political inclusion. We argue that religiosity does influence Muslim-American party identification, however not in the same manner as with other groups. While the two major political parties encourage religiosity among Protestants, Jews, and Catholics, they are either silent or opposed to religiosity among Muslims within their parties. Thus, religiosity among Muslim-Americans may not necessarily lead to partisan identification with either Republicans or Democrats. Rather, high levels of religiosity, coupled with perceptions of discrimination against Muslims, may lead many to oppose both major political parties and instead identify with “none of the above.” This is not to say that Muslim-Americans reject civic engagement or political participation in the United States, but rather the two political parties have not carved out a space to welcome Islam, as they have for Christianity and Judaism. We examine new data from the 2007 Muslim-American Public Opinion Survey to assess the predictors of partisan identification among Muslims in the United States.

Muslim and Jewish Immigrants’ Adjustment: The Role of Religious-American Harmony, Religious-American Identity Centrality, and Discrimination

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-274
Author(s):  
Sadie S. Amini ◽  
Angela-MinhTu D. Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Religious Identity ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
American Identity ◽  
Muslim American ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Identity Centrality ◽  
Dual Identities ◽  
Jewish Immigrants

Religious-minority immigrants must negotiate both their religious and host cultural (e.g., American) identities; however, the duality of these identities is rarely examined in relation to adjustment. In this study, we tested whether a religious-American identity centrality could predict better adjustment over and above religious identity centrality and American identity centrality. Moreover, based on the Integrative Psychological Model of Biculturalism, we investigated whether the harmony perceived between one’s religious and American identities could mediate the relationship between religious-American identity centrality and adjustment, and between perceived discrimination and adjustment. With data from 130 first-generation Muslim American and Jewish American participants, we found support for most hypotheses. Although a more central religious-American identity predicted better adjustment, it did not predict better adjustment over and above religious identity centrality and American identity centrality. More importantly, religious-American harmony mediated the positive association between religious-American identity centrality and adjustment, and the negative association between perceived discrimination and adjustment. Implications of our findings for research on dual identities are discussed.

Islamic Headcovering and Political Engagement: The Power of Social Networks

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aubrey Westfall ◽  
Özge Çelik Russell ◽  
Bozena Welborne ◽  
Sarah Tobin
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Religious Institutions ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Muslim American ◽  
American Muslim ◽  
Muslim American Women

AbstractThis article explores the relationship between headcovering and women's political participation through an original online survey of 1,917 Muslim-American women. As a visible marker of religious group identity, wearing the headscarf can orient the integration of Muslim women into the American political system via its impact on the openness of their associational life. Our survey respondents who cover are more likely to form insular, strong ties with predominantly Muslim friend networks, which decreased their likelihood of voting and affiliating with a political party. Interestingly, frequency of mosque attendance across both covered and uncovered respondents is associated with a higher probability of political participation, an effect noted in other religious institutions in the United States. Yet, mosque attendance can simultaneously decrease the political engagement of congregants if they are steered into exclusively religious friend groups. This discovery reveals a tension within American Muslim religious life and elaborates on the role of religious institutions vs. social networks in politically mobilizing Muslim-Americans.

scholarly journals Effects of Religious Discrimination and Fear for Safety on Life Satisfaction for Muslim Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramy Bassioni ◽  
Kimberly Langrehr
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
The United States ◽  
Religious Discrimination ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Muslim American ◽  
Stress Theory ◽  
Muslim American Women ◽  
Lower Life Satisfaction

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between two forms of religious discrimination (religious prejudice and environmental discrimination) and life satisfaction among a sample of Muslim Americans. Based on the framework of minority stress theory, we also hypothesized that higher levels of religious prejudice as well as environmental discrimination, would significantly relate to higher fear of safety, and in turn, would relate to lower life satisfaction. Method: A total of 192 Muslim American participants (Age M= 27.87) completed an on-line survey about their experiences as Muslim American. Women made up almost 75% of the sample.Results: Findings revealed that higher religious prejudice as well as environmental discrimination were both significantly related to lower life satisfaction and that fear of safety partially mediated both of these relationships. Conclusions:  Findings help illustrate that Muslim Americans are not immune to the social-political climate of Islamophobia and can experience religious discrimination in different ways. In addition, women and younger participants expressed higher fear of safety when compared to men and older participants. Professionals who work with individuals from the Muslim community are encouraged to consider the chronic and on-going impact of stress that Muslim Americans face especially within the context of the United States.

scholarly journals Race consciousness, the audacity of equality, and transcultural criticism in Hasan Minhaj’s homecoming king.

2021 ◽  
pp. 259-280
Author(s):  
Muqarram Khorakiwala
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Muslim American ◽  
Stand Up Comedy ◽  
Political Aesthetics ◽  
Racial Injustice ◽  
Interesting Approach ◽  
Persuasion Games

This article examines the role of the diasporic stand-up comic as a transcultural critic and the comedy set as an act of transcultural criticism of contemporary American culture. I use the framework of transcultural criticism developed by Lewis1 (2002) for the purpose of cultural investigation in Hasan Minhaj’s stand-up comedy Homecoming King (2017). Through the amalgamation of political aesthetics and cultural civics, Lewis’ theorization of transculturalism offers an interesting approach for critical discourse analysis of racial injustice and inequality in Muslim American stand-up comedy. Minhaj uses persuasion games and language wars to highlight the dissonance in the dominant discourse about Islam. His goal is not to be a spokesperson for Muslim Americans but to provide new imaginings to the discussion of race, religion, and belonging in the context of Brown Americans in the post 9/11 era both within and outside the community.

Muslim Americans and the Political System

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulkader H. Sinno
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Muslim American ◽  
Media Content Analysis ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Political Empowerment ◽  
System P ◽  
National Governments

The author surveys the politics of Muslim Americans—as instruments of political manipulation, as targets, and as agents—and the latest methodological innovations in researching them. The politics of targeting Muslims or instrumentalizing them include the use of electoral strategies that leverage negative public attitudes toward this religious minority, its political empowerment, and its civil rights. Muslim American participation in the American political arena has increased dramatically since 9/11. The author addresses the ways Muslims opt, or are able, to be active in American politics, their voting practices, how they fare when they run for office, and how they use local, state, and national governments to advance their causes. The research methods that are particularly useful to push the state of knowledge on the topic include qualitative field work, media content analysis, surveys, and experiments.

scholarly journals ISLAM, MINORITAS DAN PLURALISME DI INDONESIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (01) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Moh Hasim
Keyword(s):  
Religious Belief ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Religious Discrimination ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Moral Power ◽  
Majority Groups ◽  
The Right ◽  
Democratic Country ◽  
Governmental System

<p>Because of governmental system that acknowledged six official<br />religions (Islam, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, Buddha, and Confucius),<br />Indonesia as democratic country are judged by international world<br />doing religious discrimination on other religious minority group<br />(outside official religion). The role of MUI as authoritative religious<br />agency, exactly, worsen religious belief conflicts by giving label<br />"deviant" on new religious/stream/belief out of mainstream official<br />religions. Hegemony interests of religious majority groups<br />(organizations) as moral power that has the right to claim about the<br />truth in governmental system has jeopardize pluralism structures in<br />Indonesia. Pluralism by MUI is forbidden with the reason of insulting<br />religious truths. While Islam as major religion follow by Indonesian<br />community has explained that pluralism is a reality that become<br />natural law and could not be denied.</p>

scholarly journals How Refugees’ Stereotypes Toward Host Society Members Predict Acculturation Orientations: The Role of Perceived Discrimination

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Lutterbach ◽  
Andreas Beelmann
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Host Society ◽  
Shared Reality ◽  
Stereotyped Attitudes ◽  
Host Culture ◽  
Cultural Maintenance ◽  
Discriminatory Behavior

Refugee migration leads to increased diversity in host societies and refugees have to face many stereotyped attitudes in the host society. However, there has been little research on minority group stereotypes toward host society members and how these stereotypes relate to the acculturation-relevant attitudes of refugees in their first phase of acculturation. This study surveyed 783 refugees in Germany who had migrated mostly in the so-called “refugee crisis” between 2015 and 2016. At the time of the survey in 2018, they had been in Germany for an average of 27 months (SD = 15 months). These refugees reported their positive and negative sociability stereotypes toward German host society members, acculturation-related orientations, shared reality values, and perceived discrimination. Results showed that positive sociability stereotypes toward host society members were associated with increased cultural adoption and shared reality. In contrast, negative sociability stereotypes negatively affected cultural adoption and shared reality. However, stereotypes showed no association at all with cultural maintenance. Interactions between sociability stereotypes and discrimination experiences highlighted a disillusion effect, in the sense that discrimination reduced the motivation to adopt the host culture more strongly among refugees who held strongly positive sociability stereotypes. The study extends knowledge on the significance of minority group stereotypes in the context of refugee migration and reveals the maladaptive consequences of discriminatory behavior against refugees by host society members.

Reducing Prejudice Through Narratives

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 185-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Moyer-Gusé ◽  
Katherine R. Dale ◽  
Michelle Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Intergroup Relations ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Intergroup Contact ◽  
Contact Hypothesis ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Intergroup Anxiety ◽  
Intergroup Interactions

Abstract. Recent extensions to the contact hypothesis reveal that different forms of contact, such as mediated intergroup contact, can reduce intergroup anxiety and improve attitudes toward the outgroup. This study draws on existing research to further consider the role of identification with an ingroup character within a narrative depicting intergroup contact between Muslim and non-Muslim Americans. Results reveal that identification with the non-Muslim (ingroup) model facilitated liking the Muslim (outgroup) model, which reduced prejudice toward Muslims more generally. Identification with the ingroup model also increased conversational self-efficacy and reduced anxiety about future intergroup interactions – both important aspects of improving intergroup relations.

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