EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In this report, the California Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) presents its analysis of a 2019-2020 college campus climate survey of American Muslim college and university students.

The survey was administered to students at over sixty institutions of higher learning primarily throughout the state of California, including both public and private universities and colleges. Its purpose is to examine the lived experiences of American Muslim college students and the issues they face, particularly as a consequence of their real or perceived Muslim identities.

THE AMERICAN MUSLIM STUDENT BODY FACES SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Muslim students today are a vibrant and burgeoning segment of the general population. In the United States, Muslim young adults make up a significant portion of the American Muslim population. It is estimated that roughly 35% of all American Muslim adults fall between the ages of 18 and 29, compared to only 21% of the overall adult U.S. population that falls within the same age bracket.1 Consequently, Muslims in the United States today are younger than the average American population. They are also just as likely to graduate college as the general population, with 31% of U.S. Muslims obtaining higher education degrees.2 However, the survey findings highlight significant issues facing the American Muslim student body, such as Islamophobia and discrimination based on the students’ real or perceived Muslim identities or related campus advocacy.

Key findings demonstrated that a notable percentage of Muslim students experienced some form of harassment or discrimination by peers, campus administration, and/or campus personnel. Muslim students also reported high levels of discomfort in various campus settings and limitations to their ability to express themselves on issues related to their religious identity. The survey highlighted concerns regarding campus administrators’ support for events or policies hostile to Islam, as well as campus omissions and failures to take measures to protect or accommodate Muslim students.

558 STUDENTS FROM OVER 60 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING RESPONDED TO CAIR-CA’S SURVEY

TWEET THIS

CAIR-CA has repeatedly advocated on behalf of American Muslim students, who faced escalating incidents of anti- Muslim bias in the period following September 11, 2001. This bias has only intensified with the current government administration. In the year leading up to the 2016 elections, the FBI reported a 67% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes, while CAIR-CA recorded a staggering 584% surge in anti-Muslim hate crimes3 from 2014 to 20164 In the five days following the 2016 presidential election, more than 30 cases of anti-Muslim incidents and over 120 anti-immigrant incidents were reported across the nation.5 Of these, over 60 incidents took place at universities.6 In 2017, CAIR offices nationwide reported a 15% increase in hate crimes, hate incidents, and discrimination against Muslims in the United States.7

In response to the increasing Islamophobia, CAIR-CA has provided direct legal services to students who have been subjected to religious-based discrimination and harassment. CAIR-CA has also worked to educate college students regarding their rights. Specifically, we have provided workshops across California educating college students regarding their rights to freedom of religion, religious accommodations, freedom of speech, the right to protest, and their right to be free from unlawful or harmful censorship and surveillance on campus. CAIR-CA has also developed ongoing legislative and policy initiatives encouraging schools to enforce antidiscrimination measures and protect all students’ right to free speech and religious expression.

Responsive image

IN THE FIVE DAYS FOLLOWING THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, MORE THAN 30 CASES OF ANTI-MUSLIM INCIDENTS AND OVER 120 ANTI-IMMIGRANT INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED ACROSS THE NATION.

TWEET THIS

These survey findings show that while Muslim students have become more visible on campuses, they are still often subjected to pervasive stereotypes, micro-aggressions, harassment, and discrimination due to their religious identity or political advocacy. In this report, CAIR-CA offers recommendations to students and schools to ensure that college campuses remain a haven for individual expression and growth, free of discrimination and harassment.

METHODOLOGY AND
SAMPLE DESCRIPTION

 56.46% Female      43.01% Male      0.53% Declined    

RESPONDENT’S GENDER

TWEET THIS

The survey was administered from January 2019 through March 2020 by CAIR-CA’s four offices covering the Greater Los Angeles Area, Sacramento Valley and Central California, San Diego, and San Francisco Bay Area. Survey results were obtained in person and through a secure online portal.8 568 responses were received, with a 92% completion rate. 43.01% of respondents identified as male, 56.46% identified as female, and 0.53% declined to identify their gender.

Respondent's Self-Identified Ethnicity

TWEET THIS

Of the students who provided their ethnicity, the largest subgroup identified with an ethnic group from Asia or South Asia,9 followed by respondents who identified as Arab, Middle Eastern, or North African.10 A minority of respondents making up less than 1% of the survey sample identified as African American, Ethiopian, Somalian, Black, Mexican, Latino, Hispanic, White, Pacific Islander, or Mixed. Nearly three-quarters of students in this sample were pursuing their undergraduate degrees, while less than 1% were pursuing their Associates, Masters, or Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Over 85% of all respondents expected to graduate between 2020 and 2025, and 12% graduated in 2019.

 [1] 49.77% Hijab      [2] 32.42% Beard      [3] 5.71% Thobe      [4] 5.02% Abaya         [5] 6.62% Other  

strong trend toward religious or cultural visibility on campus

TWEET THIS

The survey sample demonstrated a strong trend toward religious or cultural visibility on campus, whether through religious attire, appearance, or identity-based group affiliations. For example, an overwhelming 92.24% of students reported wearing some form of religious or cultural attire. 49.77% wore a hijab11 or other similar religious head covering, 32.42% donned a beard, 5.71% wore a thobe, 5.02% wore an abaya, and 3.65% wore a kufi. Another 6.62% indicated they wore another type of attire such as a rosary, headcap, Islamic jewelry, modest clothing, niqab, clothing with Arabic calligraphy, and some indicated they looked Muslim. Additionally, 65.12% of students surveyed also participated in some form of Muslim Student Association or Union. An additional 0.09% of student respondents were part of ethnic or national origin groups that may be perceived as Muslim-presenting, such as Palestinian advocacy groups, the Persian Student Association, or the Pakistani Student Association.