Abstract
Muslim American high school seniors navigate their educational spaces at a time when the 2016 Election has unleashed a rhetoric that is riddled with Islamophobia. The experiences of four female participants engages us in their counter-narratives, debunking stereotypes and assumptions that exist about their demographic. The formal and informal experiences of the educational journeys of these participants help us explore the role of family, faith-based education, mosque, and community in the lives of these students. The social and academic learning opportunities for these participants showcased instances of inclusion and marginalization, where there were times when the students underwent a double consciousness. Transitioning from faith-based schools to the public education system became easier when positioned in a climate of diversity. Muslim American students experience a dichotomous pull between religious values and American culture and remain cognizant of these differences. Muslim educational leadership will find the study insightful.
TopBackground
Through his ecological theory, Bronfenbrenner (1979) posits the inter-relational impact of the macro, exso, meso, and micro in creating a multifaceted and interdependent identity and experience for individuals (also Hernandez, 2016). In a context where white mainstream is the acceptable definition of American, and often promulgated as being antithetical to all else that is non-white, an identity dichotomy is assumed. Muslim American youth have their narratives to share in their particular experience of being the demonized non-white. The role of leadership in enabling Muslim American Youth towards creating counter-narratives that are not sabotaged by whiteness is a task that requires mindful deliberation, while remaining centered in the voice of the youth itself. It is often the case, that adults in the community hijack the narrative of youth to tell it in and on their own terms. It remains imperative that in the narrative of Muslim American youth itself the role of leadership finds a pivotal place that best lends itself to support youth.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Critical Race Theory: A theoretical framework constituting of six tenets that looks at race and whiteness.
Mosque: A place of worship for Muslims.
Marginalization: The reduction of a demographic to an invalidation of their experiences.
Cultural Capital: The concept that cultures facilitate/provide distinct traits or experiences to its followers that can count as capital.
Hijab: A head-covering worn by Muslim females after they have reached puberty.
Islamophobia: An irrational fear of people who associate themselves to Islam.
Muslim: Someone who belongs to the religion of Islam.