Islamophobia and the Young Muslim American Experience

Abstract

The objective of this research is to gain a better understanding of how young Muslim Americans describe their cross-cultural experiences with Islamophobia, and how their experiences shape their social identities and coping strategies. The study extends the pilot study and taxonomy of Nadal et al. (2012) using a phenomenological research design and focus group interviews to describe the subjective perceptions and lived experiences of young adult Muslim Americans. The study provides detailed descriptions of the experiences, perceptions, and sense of belonging of young Muslim Americans coming of age within a changing historical and social context. Confirming and extending earlier research findings reveal how participants describe distinctive aspects of the Muslim identity, perceptions of lack of public awareness of the Islamic culture, and experiences of negative repercussions from the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States