Dr. Shabana Mir discusses challenges faced by American Muslim women on college campuses post-9/11, including assimilation pressures, discrimination, and navigating societal expectations while maintaining religious identity. The conversation delves into the complexities of conducting research on Muslim women in higher education and the importance of visibility for civil rights advocacy.
Muslim American women face binary choices on college campuses, assimilate or retreat for safety.
Researching Muslim American women post 9-11 poses challenges in heightened state surveillance and security concerns.
Deep dives
Challenges Post 9-11 and Ethnographic Study
Dr. Shabana Mir discusses her book, 'Muslim American Women on Campus,' focusing on the challenges faced by Muslim American women post 9-11. She highlights the difficulties of conducting an ethnographic study during heightened state surveillance and security concerns. Dr. Mir describes how she overcame fears and gained trust within the Muslim community in Washington DC to proceed with her research.
Binary Choices and Identity Struggles
The podcast delves into the binary choices Muslim American women face on college campuses: assimilate into mainstream culture or retreat into enclaves for safety. Dr. Mir critiques this binary dynamic, emphasizing the challenges of maintaining a religious identity while navigating societal expectations. She explores how religious garb impacts Muslim women’s experiences and highlights the complexities of identity formation under pressure to conform.
Research Choices and Intersectionality
Dr. Shabana Mir reflects on her research choices and the intersectionality of gender, race, and class in studying Muslim American women on college campuses. She discusses the impact of social class on experiences of Islamophobia and the struggle to include diverse voices, particularly from the black Muslim community. Dr. Mir highlights the complexities faced by Muslims striving for upward mobility and the internalized ideologies of white supremacy within some immigrant Muslim communities.