Gender, Race, and Symbolic Boundaries: Contested Spaces of Identity among Arab American Adolescents

Abstract

Attention to social patterns within immigrant groups provides a critical means for discerning processes of ethnic identity formation. This study draws from the theoretical foundations of boundary work to examine identity formation among second-generation Arab American adolescents. Contested spaces of identity emerge as teens distinguish themselves from immigrant culture and "white" society. Focus group discussions highlight the significance of gender relations and the way in which interpretations of religious teachings shape identity formation. Specifically, boundaries drawn reflect moral superiority by controlling girls' behaviors as interpretations of religious teachings are used to justify restrictions. However, while these boundaries provide significant markers of in-group inclusion, they also are contested. This study concludes by discussing the implications of symbolic boundaries lodged in race, gender, and religion and suggests avenues for future research.Two prominent theoretical perspectives regarding identity formation among children of immigrants are segmented assimilation (Portes and Rumbaut 2001) and transnationalism (Levitt and Waters 2003). The former posits that among the secondgeneration assimilation may occur upward or downward, depending on both the social capital held by the immigrant group and the predominant culture of the host society in which children of immigrants are enmeshed (e.g., Zhou and Bankston 1998); the latter addresses identity formation by highlighting how regular contact with parents' country of origin contributes to this process (Espiritu and Tran 2003;Kibria 2003). Yet with a few notable exceptions (Das Gupta 1997;Diner 1983; Espitiru 2001; Lopez 2003) the absence of gender relations in the articulation of the boundaries that distinguish ethnic membership is a conspicuous omission in the study of second-generation ethnic identity formation processes. This study contributes to the emerging work on gender relations and ethnic identity by exploring the mechanisms associated with activating and maintaining boundaries,

Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, Religiosity and Psychological Adjustment among Muslim Arab American Adolescents

“…In one study, Muslim American adolescents from varied ethnic backgrounds were interviewed and surveyed about the challenges of being Muslim American, their gendered identities, and difficulties in the home and their communities (Ajrouch, 2004). Many of the young Muslim Americans experienced daily discrimination both in school and in their communities.…”

Being a “Good” Son and a “Good” Daughter: Voices of Muslim Immigrant Adolescents

“…As suggested from previous studies (Ajrouch 2004;Maliepaard et al 2010;Verkuyten and Yildiz 2007), the contents of these norms are highly interconnected, revealing an intersection between the dimension of gender identity and religious and ethnic dimensions. Moreover, the transcript analysis documented specific cross-cultural negotiations that participants face within Italian society when they meet with Western cultural models and values.…”

“…Secondly, norms and expectations around being a "good" child are strictly modeled around gender-based specific contents, as widely documented in many studies that focused mainly on female perspective (Ajrouch 2004;Dwyer 2000;Gilani 2005). For girls this implies staying at home and preserving heritage culture (i.e., feeling of ethnic pride, maintenance of the mother tongue, wearing the veil), while for boys gaining educational success in order to become the bread-winner is key.…”

“…Muslim adolescents negotiate their identity in light of cultural and religious prescriptions concerning appropriate gender roles and gender relationships (Abu-Ali and Reisen 1999;Ajrouch 2004). Studies (Dwyer 2000;Gilani 2005;Giuliani and Tagliabue 2015) have shown that Muslim girls and women face and sometimes creatively manage gender dilemmas experienced within the host societies.…”

Citizen Outsider: Children of North African Immigrants in France

“…Research reveals a typology of ethnic self-identifications, including those based on ethnic origin, those based on the nation, and a hyphenated identity (Ajrouch 2004;Chong 1998;Eid 2008;Labelle 2004;Rumbaut 1996;Song 2010;Waters 1999;and Zéphir 2001). For example, Waters' (1999) examination of second-generation West Indian immigrants in New York delineates three paths for identity construction-a black American identity, an ethnic American identity with some distancing from black Americans, and an immigrant identity outside of racial and ethnic categories.…”