Abstract
The United States Constitution allows individuals to practice any religion they choose. However, the austerity of this right is tested when an individual’s belief is publicly displayed. For Muslim women wearing the hijab, or headscarf, the intersection between private religious practice and its social expression is explored on a daily basis. To fully understand the manifestation of public religious expression, this paper examines a series of interviews with 35 hijab-wearing Muslim women living in the United States. By exploring the lived experiences of Muslim-American women, this paper highlights the broader issues of the media’s influence on perceptions of Muslim culture, the complex and often unclear legality of religious symbols in the workplace, and the barriers that exist for hijab-wearing women in the workplace. With the rise of Islamophobia, the participants found a stronger sense to exert their right to express their religious identities. Moreover, the women interviewed demonstrate their agency by continuing to embrace their religious practice despite intersecting forms of discrimination.
Highlights
The Muslim veil, known as the hijab, has long been an issue of debate in modern society.Scholarship concerned with the hijab has primarily focused on women residing in Muslim-majority countries
Twenty-nine percent of the participants expressed how they came to the conclusion that they needed to change their style of hijab
Emphasizing their Muslim identity can be interpreted as their battle against the stigmatization of Muslims
Summary
The Muslim veil, known as the hijab, has long been an issue of debate in modern society. Even though various scholars have researched the hijab, the experiences of American Muslim women have received minimal attention. The personal experiences I discuss here provide insight into to the lives of Muslim-American women, and their experiences in the workplace. This research provides insight on the growing number of Muslim women in the American workplace. In the few studies that do focus on Muslim women, analysis of their workplace participation is often limited. This research is inclusive and offers an overview of Muslim-American women’s experiences. It combines interview data with existing theories on identity to provide a more nuanced understanding of the women themselves. This study explores the intersecting elements that structure the lives of Muslim American women. This paper hopes to contribute to new and existing theories on hijab in the American workplace
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