Canadian Muslim Reactive Identity Formation in the Face of Discrimination

Abstract

This article looks at the reactive identity formation of Muslim Canadians amidst discrimination and othering. I probe into Canada’s history of colonization and racism and the creation of the multicultural policy and explore how immigrant Muslims have formed their identity in reaction to this. I give attention to second-generation Muslims who have been understudied, but whose production of hybridized identities is crucial in this process. Finally, I reflect on circumstances of reactive identity formation of Canadian Muslims who strengthen their identity in the face of discrimination, and the new possibilities they create for Canada’s multicultural society.