Custom artwork by Spanish illustrator and comic creator Nadia Hafid as seen on the MuslimAmericanYouth.org website.
Researchers from Penn GSE and other universities are expanding beyond the typical academic audience to share their insights on American youth from Muslim immigrant communities with a larger audience. They recently launched an interactive website, MuslimAmericanYouth.org, translating a multiyear national qualitative study into a digital hub of innovative storytelling and vibrant imagery.
The findings were published as a traditional article in Ethnic and Racial Studies in 2021. However, Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher, a Penn GSE senior lecturer and co-author, said academic papers are often heavy on jargon and paywalls, limiting accessibility — especially for younger audiences.
“We wanted to make it more accessible to a broader audience,” said Ghaffar-Kucher, the director of Penn GSE’s International Educational Development program and curriculum lead of the Teaching Beyond September 11th curriculum. “When young Muslim Americans find our work, they tell us they feel seen and heard.”
The research, titled “Unequal Citizens: Documenting the Civic Lives of American Youth from Muslim Immigrant Communities,” was funded by the Spencer Foundation. It documents the experiences of young Muslim Americans who were in first grade or younger on September 11, 2001, and how the aftermath of that day impacted their lives.
“We were interested in how young people who have grown up in the shadow of 9/11 are making sense of their lives as civically engaged young people,” Ghaffar-Kucher said.
Many participants reported facing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism. However, the young people surveyed were also deeply engaged in civil discourse and social justice and had a strong sense of citizenship.
The original study was a collaboration between Ghaffar-Kucher, Penn GSE alums, Barnard College Professor Thea Renda Abu El-Haj, former Penn GSE faculty member Michelle Fine, and fellow scholars Arshad Ali and Roozbeh Shirazi. Several graduate students from Penn GSE’s International Education Development program helped with data collection and analysis.
The team conducted approximately 30 focus groups with young people in 12 states and the District of Columbia between 2017 and 2020, focusing on youth between the ages of 13–23 from Muslim-American immigrant communities, which represent about 60% of all Muslims in the U.S., according to Ghaffar-Kucher. They followed up with individual interviews with more than 30 youth. Participants shared lived experiences, including encounters with racism, hate speech, and the impact of Islamophobia.
The research aligns with Ghaffar-Kucher’s broader work on immigrant communities, including Muslim Americans, and her expertise on mass migration, transnationalism, and educational experiences. She frequently speaks on Islamophobia and served as a consultant for MTV on its “Look Different” campaign and a sub-campaign on microaggressions.
Using Geographic Information Service (GIS) technology, the group transformed the research into a visually engaging, user-friendly website that makes the findings more approachable. The website offers digestible research summaries, an interactive timeline, and curated resources, including books, documentaries, social media accounts, and organizations. Custom artwork by Spanish illustrator and comic creator Nadia Hafid accents the pages.
The website endeavors to share the diverse experiences and shared values of young Muslim Americans. While Muslim Americans make up about 1 percent of the U.S. population, immigrants can trace their roots to more than 75 countries. Pakistan is the largest group but only accounts for about 15 percent of the Muslim American population, according to 2017 Pew Research Center data.
“We’re trying to show that diversity of experiences,” Ghaffar-Kucher said. “There isn’t one Muslim American experience. Instead, multiple and distinct moments have shaped their civic engagement.”
Yet, many young Muslim Americans continue to face anti-Muslim racism. The website captures these realities through an engaging user experience. It details how Muslim American youth have been impacted, including gender differences in bias, rising Islamophobia, hate crimes, and educational challenges. Each section features participants’ reflections, lending a personal perspective.
For example, a Maryland youth relayed a memory of shopping at Walmart on a hot summer day with her mother, who wears a hijab. “Two ladies out of nowhere came and were screaming at my mom, and they were saying, ‘You’re burning up. Woman abuse. Men are oppressing you.’”
A page about fearmongering and safety concerns shows a campaign poster from President Trump’s 2016 campaign that reads, “If I had a bowl of Skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem.”
Despite challenges, young Muslim Americans are engaging in civic life, well-versed in their rights, and passionate about social justice.
As a result, Ghaffar-Kucher noted that many have been involved in social justice movements across communities, not just their own, including Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and more.
“These are incredibly engaged young people who want a better future for everyone,” Ghaffar-Kucher said. “They’ve grown up understanding that the quest for social justice is intertwined across communities. To move forward, we need to lift everyone up.”