The objective of this study is to generate a thesis that sheds a cultural lens on nuances contained in American Muslim communities to expose the critical role the culture's native-born populations play in the formation of a distinct Islamic American cultural construct in the United States. Recognition of Native-born American (NbA) Muslim cultural productions are essential in understanding the dynamics of American Muslim cultural identities beyond mass media stereotyping and one-dimensional caricatures. The novels of NbA Black Muslim romance authors afford opportunities to develop an appreciation for the multifaceted perspectives contained in the numerous cultural identities comprising American Muslim culture.
American Muslims are far from monolithic in cultural identities. This thesis examines popular romance narratives written by the NbA Black Muslim hybrid subculture to uncover distinctive cultural notions that generate an identity divergent from common stereotypes about Muslims and counter attempts to solidify an ontological representation of "The American Muslim."
Here's the abstract: