Becoming American?: The Forging of Arab and Muslim Identity in Pluralist America

Countless generations of Arabs and Muslims have called the United States "home." Yet while diversity and pluralism continue to define contemporary America, many Muslims are viewed by their neighbors as painful reminders of conflict and violence. In this concise volume, renowned historian Yvonne Haddad argues that American Muslim identity is as uniquely American as it is for any other race, nationality, or religion.

Becoming American? first traces the history of Arab and Muslim immigration into Western society during the 19th and 20th centuries, revealing a two-fold disconnect between the cultures―America's unwillingness to accept these new communities at home and the activities of radical Islam abroad. Urging America to reconsider its tenets of religious pluralism, Haddad reveals that the public square has more than enough room to accommodate those values and ideals inherent in the moderate Islam flourishing throughout the country. In all, in remarkable, succinct fashion, Haddad prods readers to ask what it means to be truly American and paves the way forward for not only increased understanding but for forming a Muslim message that is capable of uplifting American society.

Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Chair of Inter-religious Dialogue in Muslim-Christian Understanding, Emerita, at Georgetown University. She is author or editor of many books, including Muslim Women in America: The Challenge of Islamic Identity Today and Muslim Minorities in the West: Visible and Invisible.