Abstract

The post-9/11 era is poignant for a number of populations and groups in the United States. Each of those communities wrestles with the abject impact of the events of 9/11 in its own way marshaling strengths and excavating pre-9/11 identities toward a new way of being members of those communities and participants in U.S. society. Muslims and immigrants to the U.S. are among those most affected by the reconfiguration of mainstream American life. As students in public schools Muslim youth engage in challenges unique to those with their religious, cultural and/or national backgrounds. Given the historical and current implications of colonialism, and postcolonial and transnational issues for immigrants, this discussion of the literature centers on postcolonial and transnational theories and post-9/11 dispositions as possible frameworks for discussing the lived experiences of Muslim immigrant children in U.S. public schools. Additionally, I will look at a variety of identity issues as they may be applied to Muslim youth with a particular emphasis on post-9/11 concerns in U.S. public schools.

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