Stereotypes of Islamic Dress and Appearance- Based Discrimination in America
Date
2018
Authors
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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.
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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.