UC Irvine

The three largest groups of Muslims in America are the African Americans, the Arabs, and the South Asians. I have argued elsewhere 1 (Leonard 2004) that, reviewing the history and contemporary scene for Muslims in the US with respect to three key areas, constructions of race, religion, and the nation, these three groups have had experiences more similar than different, and experiences that engage them all deeply in processes of religious and political change in America. But in this panel, I am clearly expected to focus on South Asians (Muslims from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh). 2 Let me delineate, then, the special characteristics brought by South Asian Muslims to the American Muslim community and the contributions they are making to both that community and the US.