Bangladeshi Muslims in Mississippi: Impression management based on the intersectionality of religion, ethnicity, and gender

Abstract

The existing literature on Muslims in post-9/11 America largely focuses on cities where Muslims are organized and visible in large numbers. This interview-based qualitative study instead focuses on Bangladeshi Muslims in Mississippi. Using intersectionality and impression management as analytical tools, I explore how these individuals negotiate their identities to navigate interactions with Mississippi's predominantly white Christian society. I identify three patterns of impression management: distancing religious identity, highlighting ethnicity, and confronting stereotypes. These patterns provide insight into the conceptual tools used as well as the overarching racial dynamics in America.

Engagements with the Past and Armenians' Settlement Journeys in Canada

“…In addition to directly confronting stereotypes, individuals may sometimes distance themselves from their religious identity by avoiding “risky” conversations on politics. At other times, and in certain social situations they may engage in boundary‐blurring strategies (Wimmer, 2013) or highlight their ethnic identities (Shams, 2015).…”

Transmedia and Public Representation

“…Since the theory's inception, other scholars have contributed to its evolution by applying it to various disciplines including law (Dale 2018), pedagogy (Goldberg and Allen 2018), and advertising (Tan et al 2019). Additional applications of intersectionality include examining it from a wide variety of perspectives including from a religious viewpoint of being a Muslim living in a highly populated Christian environment in the South in the United States (Shams 2015), from a human rights legal context focused on persons with disabilities including disabled women, disabled children and disabled persons of color (de Beco 2020), and within the field of health and youth sports (Dagkas 2016).…”

The diversity of professional Canadian Muslim women: Faith, agency, and ‘performing’ identity

“…Building on research examining identity construction of ethnic minorities in the workplace (Bell & Nkomo, 2001) and the lived experiences of Muslim women (Essers & Benschop, 2009; Syed & Tariq, 2017). We examine multidimensionality of the identities of professional Muslim women in terms of how they negotiate their identities while confronting stereotypes and navigating organizational interactions (Shams, 2015). We focus on how Muslim women express or suppress aspects of their identity at work, depending on context; that is, this study considers how and when Muslim women disclose and performed identity in a context of broader Islamophobia.…”