Muslim Americans and Symbolic Boundaries: A Trend Study

Abstract

The Muslim American community is a unique social group that has had some research conducted on it, but not much has been done to assist this group with combatting discrimination and Islamophobia. The Pew Research Center has conducted Muslim American surveys from 2007-2017 in which they have shown a steady increase in the number of Muslims in America. These numbers show that the Muslim American population has increased from 2.35 million in 2007 to 2.75 million in 2011 to 3.45 million in 2017. In this study, I seek to create a linear profile of the members of the Muslim American community by applying the theory of symbolic boundaries as well as identifying and explaining three main themes. First, I examine religious attitudinal values: religious identity vs national identity, importance of religion, views on wearing the hijab, and belief in a meritocracy in the United States. Second, I examine religious adherence values; mosque attendance and daily prayer. Third, I examine core social attitudinal values; interpretation of the teaching of Islam, perception of the role of immigrants in American society, and potential conflicts between Islam and modern society. Furthermore, I seek to identify if Muslim Americans possess a higher religious identity than national identity, whether or not Muslim Americans will abandon the rituals and beliefs of their religion in order to fit into American society, and if national identity will waver depending on the national / political climate during each survey year.