Stereotypes of Islamic Dress and Appearance- Based Discrimination in America

Date

2018

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Department of English and Writing, The University of Tampa

Abstract

Today in America, media coverage and the education system lack factual information surrounding Islam and its identifiers, resulting in physical stereotypes towards Muslims and those who appear to be Muslim. Appearance-based discriminationhas become such a prevalent issue in today’s society, especially because of the recent presidential election. On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump was officially inaugurated as the President of the United States, and many of his viewpoints have heavily influenced America and its citizens. In a CBS interview with John Dickerson, Trump stated “I think profiling is something that we're going to have to start thinking about as a country...we have to look at it seriously” (Phillips). Because President Trump has publicly endorsed the idea of ethnic profiling in order to diminish the threat of terrorism, those who fit the stereotype of “terrorist” have been cruelly persecuted. Furthermore, Trump has specifically directed this stereotype towards Muslims,reinforcing misconceptions about the Islamic religion. On Fox Business, Trump discussed American conflict with Islam, stating, “we're having problems with the Muslims, and we're having problems with Muslims coming into the country” (Johnson and Hauslohner). Trump’s statement endorses the idea that the Islamic religion is anti-American and threatening, furthermore introducing these false thoughts into the minds of the nation. Instead of knowing the true teachings of Islam, Americans are inaccurately educated by unreliable sources, such as those in the media. However, because profiling revolves around physical appearance, discrimination does not only affect Muslims, but also those who appear to be Muslim, especially through dress. In order

Description

Recommended Citation: Gambatese, Erica. “Stereotypes of Islamic Dress and Appearance- Based Discrimination in America.” Royal Road, 2018. https://doi.org/10.48497/WSWZ-6Y05.

Keywords

Islam, Stereotypes, United States, Discrimination, Clothing, Muslims, Physical-appearance-based bias

Citation

Gambatese, Erica. “Stereotypes of Islamic Dress and Appearance- Based Discrimination in America.” Royal Road, 2018. https://doi.org/10.48497/WSWZ-6Y05.