Students at the Margins: On-Campus Muslim Experiences after the 2016 Presidential Election

• In Event: Roundtable: Research on Trauma and Victimization

Abstract

Muslim people from diverse backgrounds, across various racial and ethnic groups have experienced violence and discrimination after the 2016 US Presidential Election however, the marginalization of Muslim student experiences within college culture remains unique as a result of national Islamophobic sentiment. In the years after 9/11, this particular religious group has been subject to unique threats of discrimination, suspicion and harassment. In addition to racialization, gendered identity also contributes to the experiences of Muslims in the US, as the hijab, has become the second highest trigger of discrimination after ethnicity and religion. Additionally, Muslim religious identity has become highly stigmatized while hypervisibility complicates student experiences. International students and graduate students remain largely excluded from studies pertaining to the Muslim experience at American universities. This qualitative study examines the perceptions of Muslim students, across gender, race/ethnicity, and citizenship status (in the form of international or domestic student identity), to gain greater insight into how marginalized populations perceive rising ‘Muslimophobia’ given the changing social climate of the US, including, the impact of hate crimes and bias speech on campus. Findings from a pilot study and preliminary results from interviews conducted at a predominantly white institution will be discussed.

Author

• Aneesa A. Baboolal, University of Delaware