Young Muslim America: Faith, Community, And Belonging
by Muna Ali /
2018 / English / PDF
16.8 MB Download
Young Muslim America
Young Muslim America explores the perspectives and
identities of the American descendants of immigrant Muslims and
converts to Islam. Whether their parents were new Muslims or new
Americans, the younger generations of Muslim Americans grow up
bearing a dual heritage and are uniquely positioned to expound the
meaning of both.
explores the perspectives and
identities of the American descendants of immigrant Muslims and
converts to Islam. Whether their parents were new Muslims or new
Americans, the younger generations of Muslim Americans grow up
bearing a dual heritage and are uniquely positioned to expound the
meaning of both.
In this ethnographic study, Muna Ali explores the role of young
Muslim Americans within America and the ummah through four dominant
narratives that emerge from discussions about and among Muslims.
Cultural differences purportedly cause an identity crisis among
young Muslims torn between seemingly irreconcilable Islamic and
Western heritages. Additionally, culture presumably contaminates a
"pure" Islam and underlies all that divides Muslim America's
diverse subgroups. Some propose creating an American Muslim culture
and identity to overcome these challenges. But in this historical
moment when Muslims have become America's newest "problem people"
and political wedge, some Americans are suspicious of this identity
and fear a Muslim cultural takeover and the "Islamization of
America." Situating these discussions in the fields of identity,
immigration, American studies, and the anthropology of Islam, Ali
examines how younger Muslims see themselves, their faith community,
and their society, and how that informs their daily life and helps
them envision an American future.
In this ethnographic study, Muna Ali explores the role of young
Muslim Americans within America and the ummah through four dominant
narratives that emerge from discussions about and among Muslims.
Cultural differences purportedly cause an identity crisis among
young Muslims torn between seemingly irreconcilable Islamic and
Western heritages. Additionally, culture presumably contaminates a
"pure" Islam and underlies all that divides Muslim America's
diverse subgroups. Some propose creating an American Muslim culture
and identity to overcome these challenges. But in this historical
moment when Muslims have become America's newest "problem people"
and political wedge, some Americans are suspicious of this identity
and fear a Muslim cultural takeover and the "Islamization of
America." Situating these discussions in the fields of identity,
immigration, American studies, and the anthropology of Islam, Ali
examines how younger Muslims see themselves, their faith community,
and their society, and how that informs their daily life and helps
them envision an American future.
