Growing up Muslim: Muslim American women's experiences in college

Muslims in America are becoming a topic of interest as people come to hear more about Islam through the media. Practicing Muslims follow various guidelines and regulations that impact their daily lives. For example, young Muslim women who wear hijaab (head-covering) are easily identified and may be treated differentially by their peers and authority figures at school. Growing up in America and going to college may present unique challenges for Muslim women. Research that looked at the development of young Muslim women found that they often had to negotiate between two worlds and develop "hybrid identities" (Dwyer, 1999). This study provides an inside look at the lives of American Muslim women at universities in Southern California. Through survey data, the influence of dressing according to Islamic standards and self-identification as a Muslim on college adjustment was investigated. A multiple regression analysis revealed that Muslim identity and level of adherence to Islamic standards of dress were significant predictors of college adjustment. Participants who were found to have reported a higher Muslim identity reported lower college adjustment. Participants that reported dressing with a higher level of adherence to Islamic standards of dress reported better college adjustment.