“Islam in/and America” examines the history and presence of Islam in the United States, and the construction and evolution of U.S. Muslim identity, community, and culture. In the contemporary moment, “Islam” is perhaps the most misunderstood term in the national lexicon, and stands at the heart of numerous cultural and political debates about “who we are” as a nation. Much of these debates rest on the misguided notion that Islam is a foreign presence, a threat to American values and democracy.
In actuality, Islam’s presence in the Americas stretches back four centuries, to when over one third of African slaves forcibly transported here were Muslim. In this course, students will simultaneously examine the diverse historical presence of Muslims in the United States, alongside representations and stereotypes of Islam and Muslims in media and popular culture. Students will approach their study of Islam and Muslims through critical frameworks of religion, race, gender, and sexuality, paying particular attention to the experiences and representations of Black American Muslims and U.S. Muslim women. The class seminar is discussion-based, and in addition to weekly readings, it will incorporate film, media, audio, and digital texts into class conversations and coursework.
Students are able to enroll directly at their home institution for course credit. Please see details about course registration below.
Term: Fall 2019
Semester Dates: September 3, 2019 to December 12, 2019
Participating Campuses: Host – Rutgers University | Receiving – University of Michigan, Penn State University, University of Maryland
Course Number & Title:
- Rutgers University: 01:050:344 Islam in/and America
- Penn State University: RLST 116 Muslims in America
- University of Michigan: AMCULT/ARABAM 301 Special Topics in American Culture
- University of Maryland: AAST 298A Special Topics in AAST
Times: Tuesday & Thursday 2:50pm-4:10pm Eastern
About the Instructor: Dr. Sylvia Chan-Malik studies the intersections of race, gender, and religion in the United States, with a particular interest in how these categories intersect in contemporary struggles for social justice. She teaches courses on race and ethnicity in the United States, Islam in/and America, social justice movements, feminist methodologies, multiethnic literature and culture in the U.S., and 20-21st century U.S. history. She is also on the faculty of the Women’s and Gender Studies department. Chan-Malik holds a Ph.D in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College, and a B.A. in English and Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.