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ABSTRACT
Assaults on Sikhs and other South Asian Americans represent not merely cases of ‘mistaken Muslims.’ Their victimization is different—yet not distinct—from anti-Muslim sentiment. They are the casualties of an American racial and secular nationalist project to discipline citizens into a ‘safe’ religious subjectivity. Although a variety of Hollywood films demonstrate a slowly growing sophistication in portrayals of Muslims, Islamic traditions, and South Asian Americans, too many continue to promote America’s sometimes fatal conflation of race and religion that becomes particularly acute in periods of strident nativism.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
* Portions of this essay derive from Gottschalk and Greenberg Citation2018, Rowman & Littlefield. All rights reserved.
1 Anealla Safdat, ‘Sikh Coalition: After Seattle attack we are vigilant.’ March 5, 2017. Al Jazeera website. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/03/sikh-coalition-seattle-attack-vigilant-170305182241075.html. Accessed April 8, 2017.
2 https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/11/18/update-incidents-hateful-harassment-election-day-now-number-701. Accessed April 8, 2017.
3 Fernando Citation2009, 385. Fernando references Wilder Citation2007.
4 Abu-Lughod Citation2004.
5 ‘2018 Domestic Grosses.’ Box Office Mojo website. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?p=.htm&yr=2018. Accessed January 29, 2019.
6 Asad Citation1999, 191.
7 ‘Lone Survivor,’ Stephen Follows Film Data and Education, accessed September 29, 2017, https://stephenfollows.com/resource-docs/scripts/Lone%20Survivor.pdf. Accessed January 29, 2019.
8 ‘Ethics on Film: Discussion of “Zero Dark Thirty,”’ Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, March 11, 2013, Accessed January 29, 2019. https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/ethics_onfilm/0007.
9 See Gottschalk Citation201Citation4.
10 Pew Research Center, ‘Little Voter Discomfort with Romney’s Mormon Religion.’ July 26, 2012. http://www.pewforum.org/2012/07/26/2012-romney-mormonism-obamas-religion/. Accessed January 29, 2019. CNN/ORC International poll. September 13, 2015. 15. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/09/12/iranpoll.pdf. Accessed January 29, 2019.
11 CNN/ORC International poll. September 13, 2015. 32. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/09/12/iranpoll.pdf. Accessed January 29, 2019.
12 Tom Jensen, ‘GOP Quickly Unifies Around Trump; Clinton Still Has Modest Lead.’ May 10, 2016. https://www.publicpolicypolling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PPP_Release_National_51016.pdf. Accessed January 29, 2019.
13 CBS News/New York Times, ‘Assessing Security and the Threat of Terrorism Ten Years Later,’ August 2011.
14 Pew Research Center, ‘Muslim Americans: No Signs of Growth in Alienation or Support for Extremism,’ August 30, 2011, accessed October 24, 2012, http://www.people-press.org/2011/08/30/muslim-americans-no-signs-of-growth-in-alienation-or-support-for-extremism/?src=prc-headline.
15 Nicole Naurath, ‘Most Muslim Americans See No Justification for Violence,’ Gallup, August 2, 2011, accessed November 3, 2012, http://www.gallup.com/poll/148763/muslim-americans-no-justification-violence.aspx.
16 Dina Smeltz, ‘Foreign Policy in the New Millennium: Results of the 2012 Chicago Council Survey of American Public Opinion and U.S. Foreign Policy,’ 2012, 25.
17 Pew Research Center, ‘Muslim Americans.’
18 Among those whose presence in Hollywood films do not match their demographic prominence in the US are Latina, Latino, and Hispanic actors, actresses, and characters. For instance, although the protagonist of Argo (2012) is named Antonio J. Mendez, his character is played by Ben Affleck.
19 Bayoumi Citation2006, 281–282.
20 Fernando Citation2009, 388.