The purpose of this paper. The existence of Muslims as a sizable group in the U.S. can be traced back to the 1870s, and they have now become a group numbering around 800 million people. American Muslims include arrivals from the Islamic world, African Americans, and other converts of European descent who have been already living in the United States. This paper focuses mainly on the former.Muslim immigrants in the United States have experienced changes from dispersion to polymerization, from being immigrants to becoming American citizens. During these processes, there were various differences and some similarities in construction and shape among the above three sub-groups. The changes have also been accompanied by their adaptation and response to, as well as recognition of and alienation from, mainstream society in the United States. The manifestations and details of the above changes are complicated and rich. This paper aims to study and analyze these issues, showing the historical changes and reality of the American Muslim immigrant groups. It also explores the process and trends of their adaptation to the United States so as to reveal the basic factors of identity as immigrant communities. Thus it will enrich our understanding of contemporary Muslim immigrants outside the Islamic world and help us expand the scope of Muslim academic research in China.Significance of this paper. From an academic point of view, this paper has four kinds of significance:first, to expand the scope of academic research in the fields of Ethnology and Sociology; second, to expand the scope of academic research in the Muslim academic circles of China; third, to help promote theoretical innovation in the field of Chinese ethnology on the formation and evolution of the "Human Community"; and fourth, to provide a case for the comparative study of international migration. Finally, from a practical point of view, this paper serves to provide a valuable reference for our understanding of migration issues and formulating corresponding policies.Research Theories and Methods. From different aspects, this research is conducted to outline the internal features of the U.S. Muslim community and its relationship with mainstream society through the theoretical paradigm of adaptation and identity of immigrants. It uses the main methods of the combination of literature search and field study. It also uses the combination of concrete analysis and general induction, and of deep and shallow descriptions.Research Results. This paper has conducted a comprehensive and systematic study on American Muslim immigrant groups, covering the following contents:their immigration sources, population and distribution; their various sectarians, religious groups and their religious practice in the United States; the role of all religious organizations and secular organizations in preserving the Muslim identity and safeguarding Muslim interests; the traditional cultural education of Muslim children and its methods; changes in the concept of marriage among Muslim immigrants in the United States; women's status and role in the family; domestic violence in the Muslim community; preservation and change of the Islamic female dress tradition; Muslim women's social participation; the negative impact of the "9·11" terrorist attacks on American Muslims and the efforts made by American Muslims to eliminate these side effects; and finally, a general discussion of identity and adaptation of American Muslims.Main conclusions. First, although American Muslim immigrants have three circles of identity—religious identity, ethnic identity, and that of being a U.S. citizen—the importance of these three kinds of identity in people's hearts and real life is different. Some Muslim immigrants claim to be Muslims first or members of a certain ethnic group first, but the vast majority of Muslim immigrants see themselves as U.S. citizens first. Moreover, the first two identities could only offer Muslim immigrants limited rights, but the identity of U.S. citizens could provide a more comprehensive protection of rights.Second, Muslims immigrated to the United States with the purpose of attaining a better life through adaption and integration into mainstream society. However, there are still some conflicts and barriers between them and mainstream society. The reason for these contradictions, I believe, lies in the different secular culture rather than the different religious beliefs. If we consider their contradictions and barriers a result of their different religious beliefs, then it will be difficult to resolve this conflict between Muslim immigrants and the mainstream society, and it will also be difficult to explain the phenomenon of religious conversion. But if we consider them a result of secular cultural differences, then, secular culture can be changed and adapted mutually. |