Muslim Americans are made up of many constituent nationalities and races. A majority of them are of African and South Asian descent while those of the Arab descent make up about 25% of the population of Muslim Americans (McCarus, 89).
Economic, Political, and Social History of Muslim Americans
The immigration of Muslims to America has its advent in the era of slavery. Some of the earliest Muslims in the country were slaves who descended from African natives who had embraced Islam after Arab invasion especially in the Sahel region. Most of the immigrants arrived in the U.S in two waves; pre-World War I and after the war. The wave before the war was not as a result of political conflicts but rather a clamor for economic emancipation. At the same time, the U.S was also restricting the number of immigrants coming into the country. For that reason, their aim was to come to the U.S., find a suitable job, work for a certain period then resettle in their home countries.
Most of the Muslims of Arab descent who came to the U.S in this era never had any plans of settling in the country in the long term (Aboona, 134). However, owing to the difficult economic conditions in the nation at the time, they ended up settling in the U.S in the end. Their numbers were restricted by the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924 that sought to limit the number of immigrants especially from Arab nations in a bid to preserve the cultural harmony of the nation.
There was a significant change in immigration patterns after the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which relaxed the hitherto stringent immigration quotas. It resulted in the influx of highly skilled professionals especially from the Middle East and Asian countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh.
As alluded earlier, the level of education for most of the Muslim Americans is above average, taking women into account. However, there seems to be a division regarding the role that women play based on racial or geographic origins. Most of the African Americans adhering to Islam tend to be more liberal as compared to the Muslim Americans of Middle East, North Africa, or Asian origins, which tend to be more conservative.
First generation immigrants of Muslim Americans descent tend to be more conservative, something that is seen as a continuation of their culture and adherence to teachings of Islam. For this generation, women are primarily seen as homemakers whose role is to create a conducive environment for their husbands and children in their home. The situation has however been gradually changing with the subsequent generations showing more willingness to integrate with the rest of the liberal American society. Furthermore, over half of Muslim Americans from the mentioned regions have been in the U.S, therefore,adapting to the liberal nature has come naturally even for women.
Muslim Americans have easily assimilated with the rest of the American societies be it for the immigrants or those born in the country. However, a majority of the Muslim Americans have experienced a surge in discriminatory practices especially after the 9/11 attacks that rocked various parts of the nation. The sentiments have also been on the rise in the recent past giving the growing wave of anti-Islam especially after incidents such as the San-Bernardino attacks. Negative stereotyping has contributed significantly to the rise of anti-Islam sentiment in the nation. It is especially the case given that popular mass media has often portrayed Islam as being synonymous with terrorism. It is because of such victimization that much of the sentiments of Muslim Americans have begun having a convergence with those of the more conservative Muslims from other parts of the world such as the Middle East, Southern Asia, and North Africa.
Religion and Politics
Over the years, Muslim Americans have been quite active in politics. Among the earliest political movements attributed to Islam in the U.S was the Nation of Islam (NOI), which was led by Wallace Muhammad and later Malcolm X to whom much of the movement’s popularity is owed. NOI advocated for black supremacy but in the process ended up attracting a large number of people especially African Americans to Islam (Hill, 97). The American Muslim Council has been used to lobby for the civil and human rights of Muslims in America. As such, it has grown in prominence as a kingmaker in the nation’s politics owing to their ever rising number that forms a key voting constituent.
Over the years, American Muslims have supported both the Republicans and the Democrats on almost an equal measure. However, the situation changed after the 2003 and 2001 America’s invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. The two events swayed most of the Muslim Americans towards the Democrats who they perceive to be more liberal on the issue of immigration as opposed to the Republicans. It is especially the case given that just about half of all Muslim Americans were born in the country while the remaining half immigrated into the country. As such, the immigration issue is close to the hearts of Muslim Americans.
Islam as a religion has also experienced exponential growth in the country owing to several factors that include an increase in the level of immigration from countries and regions in which the people are predominantly Muslim. The increased immigration is informed by incidents such as the Persian Gulf War, the Palestinian conflict among others. Furthermore, first-generation Muslim immigrants have also continued to sire expanding the overall Muslim population in the country. It is illustrated by the ever growing number of mosques mostly to be found in areas with a high concentration of Muslim Americans such as Detroit, San Francisco and New York cities. A majority of the Muslim Americans profess their allegiance to the Sunni sect of Islam while the rest are either Shia or non-affiliated to any of the sects. A majority of Iranian American Muslims are Shia while a majority of the Muslims in the U.S from other regions of the Middle East and North Africa are Sunni and so is a small portion of African American Muslims.
Cuisine and Pop Culture
The dining culture and the nutrition of Muslim Americans are as diverse as their races and their original nationalities. African Americans tend to be more liberal in their nutrition owing to long-running interactions with the whites. They have adapted more to the fast-food culture as opposed to a preservation of their cuisines. It is, however, Muslim Americans with origins from the Middle East that propagated their cuisines to limelight even in America. It is perhaps due to their conservative nature. Middle Eastern cuisine is comprised of cuisines from various regions Arabian, Turkish and Persian cuisines.
Middle Eastern cuisine has a rich Mesopotamian influence which dates back several centuries back. The staple food is long grain rice and wheat. They use a rich array of spices in the preparation of their meals. Most common Arabic dish is Hummus, a combination of chickpeas with garlic served with pita bread. Shish kebab and shawarma are also common on the culinary list of the Arabs including the Iraqi Americans. Meat is also a common source of protein. Processed meats include pastirma, which is dried, cured beef. Sujuk, a dry sausage full of spices is also a common delicacy.
Dessert is often comprised of a vast array of pastries. The Baklava is a pastry with layers of phyllo dough engrained with honey, sugar syrup, and nuts. Beverages include tea and coffee and are widely consumed during and after meals as well as during social gatherings. The consumption of beer and pork are prohibited for religious reasons since a majority of them are Muslims. It is this rich culinary history that many first generation Muslim-Americans of Middle Eastern origin have continued to practice even in their host nation of America. During meal times, families gather together and often share the meal from a common plate as is the case with most of the other Muslim communities.
As is the case with their cuisine, their pop culture is also as diverse. Muslim African Americans have maintained the pop culture of their race proving that pop culture remains at the heart of the people irrespective of religion (Hill, 102). As a mirror of the growth of Islam among the blacks, jazz music with its array of instruments is widely played. It was the case even in the early 20th century during the clamour for civil rights as advocated by the likes of Malcolm X. Middle Eastern music, on the other hand, has a rich Mesopotamian influence that borrows heavily from other nationalities and regions including Syria, Lebanon, and the Persian region (Arabamericanstories.org). It includes several genres especially those of Arabic music. It also has the influence of many musical instruments. However, western influences have been taken up by most Muslim Americans even those of the first generation owing to the swift assimilation of Muslims in the liberal American society (McCarus, 101). In the recent past, infiltration of the Middle East and North Africa by Islamists has meant the sanctioning of western music. As such, the region’s music and in extension Muslim immigrants from the region have continued to exhibit a conservative nature even after settling in the U.S.
Social Status
Contrary to popular belief, most Muslim Americans live well above the average standard of living for a majority of Americans. It is especially the case for those that trace their origins from the Middle East and South Asia as opposed to the African Americans practicing Islam. Muslim Americans have performed exceptionally well in almost all the spheres of life including politics, commerce, sports as well as science and research. It is especially the case for them in the field of medicine. The high incomes attributed to Muslim Americans may be due to their preference for professional courses such as medicine and engineering that tend to have higher incomes as well as greater opportunities for career growth as opposed to other courses.
Medicine is perceived as a prestigious career choice by many and as such many Muslim Americans choose to undertake its study in a bid to bring honour and prestige to their families. Consequently, Muslim Americans practicing medicine should coalesce and find means to educate the public on issues affecting them. It is especially the case given the backdrop of fear harboured by many Americans against Muslims. Many stereotypes have been advanced against them especially with the growing phenomena of international terrorism. Terrorism is often associated with the religion of Islam and as such Muslim American health practitioners face a backlash from the society.
Initiatives such as those of the American Muslim Council would be an important part in raising the awareness of the stigma and negative stereotyping that these professionals undergo. The initiative should include organizing career days and other forms of exhibitions exclusively for Muslim Americans. Such efforts would help create a positive image for these professionals and would assist in changing the negative stereotypes. It would go a long way in creating full acceptance of not just the medical practitioners but also the entire demographic of the Muslim Americans in the American society. The training should also involve prominent Muslim American medical practitioners giving talks during such initiatives in which they explain their views and the treatment they have to endure. It would put into perspective such issues hence creating a better picture for the audience which may assist in breaking down some of the stigma and stereotypes attached to them.
Conclusively, Muslims in America enjoy a more liberal situation as opposed to most of their fellow Muslims in many other parts of the world. Furthermore, the level of integration with the rest of the American society is quite high. However, the rest wave of Islam poses a grave danger in rolling back the efforts made to assimilate this demographic to the rest of the society. All efforts must, therefore, be made by all to ensure that the cohesion that exists between Muslim Americans and others is maintained especially in the field of medicine where their services are prevalent.
Works Cited
Aboona, H. Assyrians and Ottomans: Intercommunal relations on the periphery of the Ottoman Empire. New York: Cambria Press, 2008.Print
Arabamericanstories.org staff. “History” arabamericanstories.org, accessed [10 Mar, 2016], http://www.arabamericanstories.org/arab-americans/history/
McCarus, E. The Development of Arab-American Identity. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1994.Print
Hill, Samuel. Encyclopedia of religion in the South. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 2005.Print
