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theses

BACKGROUND: Discrimination against Muslim Americans has been broadly researched and well documented. Yet, this group has been mainly looked at through an oversimplified homogenizing lens. Studies that have explored sources of heterogeneity in Muslim Americans’ experiences of perceived discrimination are absent. OBJECTIVES: This study examines the prevalence and correlates of perceived discrimination across Muslim American racial/ethnic groups; focuses on differences in perceived discrimination among Muslim Americans based on their religious identity, practices, and beliefs; and analyzes the extent to which Muslim Americans differ in their perceptions of being discriminated against as a group. DATA: Data come from the 2011 Muslim American Survey conducted by the Pew Research Center with a representative sample of 1,033 Muslim adults 18 years old and older living in the U.S. METHODS: Bivariate, binary and multinomial logistic regression, and moderation analyses are conducted to examine the prevalence of perceived discrimination across Muslim American racial/ethnic groups; to predict their perceptions of discrimination; and evaluate the extent to which the effects of race/ethnicity on perceived discrimination vary by gender, religious practices, and community involvement. RESULTS: Hispanic Muslims report the highest and Asian Muslims report the lowest frequency of perceived discrimination. Nearly all Muslim racial/ethnic groups have higher odds of reporting one or more types of perceived discrimination, relative to white Muslims. Muslim women are less likely than Muslim men to report several forms of discrimination. Older Muslims report lower rates of perceived discrimination than younger Muslims. White Muslim men are more likely to report experiencing discrimination than white, black, and Asian Muslim women. All Muslim racial/ethnic minority groups with high levels of religious practices report higher odds of perceived discrimination, compared to their white counterparts. Muslim Americans who identify themselves as other/mixed race and Hispanic report higher odds of perceived group discrimination than white Muslims. The community engagement measure is a prominent factor in shaping perceptions of group discrimination for Muslim Americans. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight varying degrees of perceived discrimination among Muslim American racial/ethnic groups and suggest that future studies examine negative implications for Muslims who are at the greatest risk of mistreatment.

ETD_7081

Ph.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Hakim Zainiddinov

doi:10.7282/T3NG4STM

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.