Muslim, Too: Navigating Multiple Identities at an American University

Abstract

Although Muslims have a significant presence at American universities, they are largely ignored by campus policies and resources and may find it difficult to reconcile their university experience with their religious values and practices. Using bicultural acculturation as a theoretical lens along with interviews and document analysis, this exploratory study of ten Muslim students at one university suggests that students have acquired the tools to successfully navigate membership in both American and Muslim cultural groups, evaluating each setting before invoking a particular identity. However, the acculturation process does not require any change by the institution. While participants described a need to adopt situationally-appropriate behaviors, they did not expect accommodation from the university or their peers.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Sara Huff, Zac Johnson, and Matt Skirven for their help with data collection as well as the anonymous reviewers for their feedback on drafts of this article.