Discrimination and Group Consciousness Among Muslim Americans.

Recently there has been a resurgence in the interest of group consciousness and linked fate, especially as they relate to diverse minority groups such as Latinos and Asian Americans. Research has demonstrated the importance of language, community involvement, and experiences with and perceptions of discrimination as factors contributing to "pan-ethnic" group consciousness for both Latinos and Asians. In this paper we extend this analysis to a new minority population: Muslim Americans. While Muslim Americans are among the most discussed and debated groups, they are among the least studied from an empirical research perspective. Political observers argue that a unified Muslim community exists, or else that Muslims are too diverse to be a cohesive group, however these are empirical questions which have not been answered. Using a unique public opinion survey of Muslims in Seattle, Dearbon, MI, Chicago, and Long Beach, we examine the degree of group consciousness among this religious/ethnic minority group. Specifically, we test whether or not perceptions of discrimination, religiosity, and language skills create a sense of group consciousness among Muslim Americans. Muslims Americans are arguably the most diverse minority group in the United States, but also a population that faces tremendous discrimination in society. Racially, sizable segments of the Muslim population identify as Asian, Black, Arab, and White. Within the Islam, differences exist between Sunni and Shi'a practices. These trends make this a very intriguing population for investigations of group identity. This paper represents one of the first efforts to understand whether or not Muslims are a cohesive political community in America, and what factors contribute or detract from group consciousness. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]