What it Means to be Muslim in America (Pew Report)

As the report shows, Muslims are likely to be proud to be American and Muslim. They believe in the “American Dream” and are satisfied with their lives. I wonder if this will change at all in the coming years, and if it differs among old and young people. From my experience, immigrants often feel a greater sense of pride in America given their hardships to become a U.S. citizen. The Muslim population represents 1% of the country, is growing, and largely consists of first, second, and third generation immigrants from 75 countries. Many non-Muslim U.S. citizens do not know much about Muslims, and this is coupled with the fact that many Muslims are concerned with the way the media portrays them. Likewise, many Muslims experience some form of discrimination, and it is more common among women or those with obvious traits (dress). The pressure of wearing a hijab or not for women must be far greater than that of a Muslim country, though this may be true for many other aspects of what it means to be Muslim in America. Because of this discrimination, some Muslims feel isolated from American society or that they have to prove or defend themselves and their faith. As we enter a second Trump term, where he has already begun violating protections against immigrants and refugees, I wonder how this rise in white nationalism will affect all minorities including Muslims. What is the “American Dream”? What are American values? What does it mean to be American, and how has this continually changed throughout history? Should the standard of a successful immigration process be assimilation and to what extent?