Searching for Identity, Belonging, and Community: Second-Generation Muslim American Participation in Muslim Spaces

Aleezay Khaliq

Advisor: Dae Young Kim, PhD, Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Committee Members: Manjusha Nair, Cortney Hughes Rinker

Horizon Hall, #6325 and on Zoom
July 22, 2024, 12:00 PM to 02:00 PM

Abstract:

Second-generation Muslim Americans continue to grapple with questions of belonging and identity as they encounter discrimination, marginalization, Islamophobia, and otherization in post-9/11 America. In the wake of the resurgence of right-wing politics, which has given rise to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment in American society, young Muslims are compelled to navigate and negotiate the meaning of their racial, ethnic, and, especially, religious identities. Drawing on in-depth interviews and field observations, this dissertation examines the sense of belonging, identity, and integration of young second-generation Muslim Americans in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. The study investigates the construction of identity and belonging through participation in Muslim spaces, including mosques, Muslim student associations, and faith-based organizations. The study finds that unlike the suburban, monoethnic mosques of their immigrant parents, which cater to the religious and social needs of first-generation Muslim immigrants, young Muslim Americans turn to more inclusive Muslim spaces to build community, friendships, and belonging. Among them, faith-based organizations, which are both religious and social in nature, have emerged to fill the gap left by mosques and Muslim student associations. In these spaces, young professional Muslim Americans interact with Muslims of diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, developing friendships and a sense of community and belonging. Moreover, these spaces allow the broadening of their interest in their faith through discussions, debates, and reinterpretations of Islamic teachings that may have been contentious in traditional settings such as mosques. Hence, faith-based organizations provide both physical and symbolic spaces of belonging, resulting in a pan-Muslim American identity that bridges racial and ethnic divisions. Ultimately, identity formation and a sense of community within these spaces lead to the construction of an 'American Islam' that aligns with American values of personal freedom and social justice.

Join us on Zoom:  https://gmu.zoom.us/j/96669546181?pwd=pVadAcLaubN1KVuppp5Ad6wbSHFGAb.1