Schaefer c11
- 1. Chapter 11 Muslim and Arab Americans: Diverse Minorities
- 2. Muslim and Arab People • Muslim and Arab Americans are different groups in America, though they overlap • Considering Arab & Muslim Americans – 1st - clarify the distinction between two groups incorrectly referred as the same population – Overcome prism of Orientalism through which many Americans view Arab and Muslim world © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 3. Muslim and Arab People • Arabs are an ethnic group; Muslims are a religious group; Islam is the faith • Muslim is a believer of that religion • One cannot accurately identify the Muslim faithful by nationality alone • Clearly being Arab does not define one as being a follower of Islam © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 4. Arab Americans • Arab Americans & “Middle Eastern” • The Arabic language is the most single unifying force among Arabs • Up to 3 million people with Arab ancestry in the U.S. – Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Palestine account fro 2/3rd of Arab Americans in 2000 © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 5. Arab Americans • Diversity of Arabs – Variation in time of arrival – Variation in the point of origin – Variation of religious tradition • Deficit Model of Ethnic Identity – A factor of subtracting away characteristics corresponding to some ideal ethnic type © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 6. Muslim Americans • 1.6 billion followers worldwide and second to Christianity • Islam is guided by the teaching of the Koran (Qur’an) • Use religious rituals • Divided into a variety of faiths and sects • Jihad © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 7. Muslim Americans • Number of Muslim Americans is difficult to estimate – 20-42 percent African American – 24-33 percent South Asian (Afghan, Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani) – 12-32 percent Arab © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 8. Muslim Americans – 15-22 percent “other” (Bosnian, Iranian, Turk, and White and Hispanic converts) • Total agreement that the population is growing rapidly – Immigration and conversion © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 9. Muslim Americans • Blended Identity – Is the self-image and worldview that is a combination of: • Religious faith, cultural background based in nationality, & status of being a resident of the U.S. • Many Muslims experience the freedom to be Muslim and the pressure to be Muslim © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 10. Black Muslims • Estimated to account for 90 percent of all converts to Islam in the U.S. • Not tightly organized into a single religious fellowship • Against adultery and drinking alcohol © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 11. Black Muslims • The Nation of Islam became a well-known and controversial organization – Trace roots to W. Fard Muhammad in (1930) – Became well-known and controversial under Elijah Muhammad © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 12. Malcolm X • Originally a member of the Nation of Islam • Was the most powerful and brilliant voice of Black self-determination in the 1960s • Highly critical of the civil rights movement in general and of Martin Luther King, Jr. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 13. Malcolm X • Remembered for: – His sharp attacks on Black leaders – His break with the Nation of Islam – His apparent shift to support the formation of coalitions with progressive whites – Teaching that Black must resist violence “by any means necessary.” © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 14. Malcolm X • Created the Organization of Afro- American Unity – Meant to internationalize the Civil Rights Movement • Assassinated in 1964 © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 15. Louis Farrakhan • Most visible spokesperson among Muslim groups in the African American community • Anti-Israel foreign policy • Leader of the 1995 Million Man March © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 16. Louis Farrakhan • Pro: Self-help, bootstrap capitalism, and strict punishment • Against: Abortion, drugs, and homosexuality © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 17. Immigration to the United States • Some slaves were followers of Islam • The National Origins System slowed immigration to the United States • In 1919, the first mosque was established – And a variety of service agencies to help the immigrant community © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 18. Immigration to the United States • Professional-Preference Clauses within 1965 Immigration and Naturalization Act – Increased immigration among Muslims and Arabs © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 19. Mosques • The mosques in metropolitan Detroit serve an estimated 200,000 Muslims • This is probably the largest Arab community outside of the Arab world © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 20. Contemporary Life in the United States • Arab Americans tend to immigrate to urban areas • Fill skilled & professional roles in US – And become self-employed merchants or entrepreneurs © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 21. Contemporary Life in the United States • Operate stores in low-income areas of central cities major retailers ignore – Opportunities for success are great • But face challenges of serving low-income population with few consumer choices • And history of being exploited by outsiders © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 22. Family Life and Gender • Traditionally, Islam has permitted men to have multiple wives—a maximum of four. • Role of women receive much attention because outer clothing is a: – Conspicuous symbol that to some seem to represent repression of women in society © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 23. Family Life and Gender • Perception of gender practices in Muslim societies receive special attention – By Western media • Particularly dress codes © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 24. Family Life and Gender • Hijab – A variety of garments that allow women to follow the guidelines of modest dress • There are differences in the role of women within the faith and the mosque • Segregations of the sexes in mosques © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 25. Family Life and Gender • Perspectives among Muslim women in US and settlements outside Islamic countries • Younger, better educated, support hijab but draw upon Western ideas of individual rights • Older, less-educated support hijab and make arguments without reference to Western ideology • Third group of all ages & education, oppose hijab © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 26. Education • Recognize the importance of education and value formal instruction in their faith • Schools are specific to particular expressions of Islam/specific nationalities © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 27. Education • Children attending public schools encounter the type of: – Adjustment experienced by those of a religious faith • Different from the dominant one of society © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 28. Politics • Muslim and Arab Americans are politically aware and often active • Most visible Arab American in politics – Ralph Nader tried to open presidential politics to a true alternative to the two-party system © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 29. Politics • Muslims in the U.S. often express the view: – That their faith encourages political participation • There is a clear distancing that one can observe between the major parties: – And Muslims and Arab Americans © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 30. Politics • Clear distancing between the major parties and Muslim and Arab Americans • Contrast to the catering of African Americans and Latinos for votes © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 31. Politics • News events have fueled anti-Arab and anti-Muslim feeling • 1972 terrorist raid at the Munich Olympics • 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies, Kenya and Tanzania • September 11, 2001 engineered by Arab Muslim extremists © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 32. Politics • Racial Profiling – Any arbitrary police-initiated action based on race, ethnicity, or national origin – Became intense after 9/11 • The registration process deepened fear and disillusionment among: – The many law-abiding Muslims in the U.S. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 33. Issues of Prejudice and Discrimination • Motion pictures show Arabs and Muslims as savages, untrustworthy, and barbaric • On television, there is an overemphasis on the extreme representations • Surveys conducted after 9/11 found a growing willingness to view: – Arabs/Muslims as generally dangerous people © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 34. Issues of Prejudice and Discrimination • Hate crimes and harassment rose sharply after 9/11 • One in four people believe a number of anti-Muslim stereotypes • Arab and Muslim Americans have not been passive to their treatment © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
- 35. Islamophobia • A range of negative feelings toward Muslims and their religion – Ranges from generalized intolerance to hatred © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.