Muslim American integration and interest group formation: a historical narrative

Abstract

ABSTRACTGiven the wide degree of ethnic, national, and denominational diversity among Muslims in the United States, the emergence of interest groups aiming/claiming to represent the collective interests of this group merits explanation. Much of the existing literature on U.S. Muslims tends to focus on the post-9/11 backlash and ensuing grassroots mobilization, rather than on the process of Muslim American institutional formation. This article seeks to fill this gap – and to add to our understanding of this understudied, but much scrutinized community – by providing a historical institutionalist analysis of Muslim American interest groups. I argue that internal group dynamics, as well as the broader U.S. policy context are key to explaining Muslim American claims making. Further, I demonstrate that the issues, aims, and tactics driving Muslim American interest groups are the result of a long process of immigrant integration into the U.S. This analysis is based largely on primary documents, including policy reports and press releases issued by the two leading Muslim American interest groups: the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), as well as interviews with the leaders of these organizations. One of the key findings to emerge from this analysis is that, in the post-civil rights era, discriminatory state policy is an important engenderer of collective identity formation and claims making.