Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: Muslim Refugee Youths’ Identity Development and Civic Engagement in School-Based Settings

Abstract

Schools have been considered critical institutions for refugee youth. However, Muslim refugee youth experience challenges navigating schools during an increasingly hostile sociopolitical climate for Muslim people. Drawing on the adolescent development framework, this phenomenological study explores how school-based experiences help to shape Muslim refugee youths’ identities. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 refugee youth who attended high schools in Chicago. Findings highlight how Muslim refugee youth expressed negative feelings of school and overall adjustment to their local communities due to stereotypes or perceptions of them being “terrorists” or “violent,” which often translated into discrimination and bullying directed at them at the school level. Second, Muslim refugee youth expressed a desire to be civically engaged in their schools and communities to demonstrate their capacity to be “good citizens” or active participants with a high moral compass. Recommendations are offered on how to support Muslim refugee youth in school settings.