Africans continue to immigrate to the United States voluntarily or involuntarily (Arthur, 2000; Stewart, 1993). Although much has been written about immigrants in the U.S., little literature is available on black immigrants (Rong & Brown, 2002; Arthur, 2000; Dodoo, 1997), and much less on Muslim immigrants from black Africa. Moreover, and despite the recent increase in Sudanese women’s immigration to the U.S. due to the conflicts in the South Sudan, Darfur and the government’s gendered policies and oppression of women (Abdel-Halim, 2006; Abusharaf, 2002; Hale, 1997), there are virtually no studies that examine their experiences and the role that their race, gender, and religion play in their everyday lives. Therefore, this study aspires to add to the scant research in this area and contribute to the visibility of these women.
The purpose of this study is to explore the intersection of race, gender, and religion in the educational and career experiences of immigrant professional Sudanese Muslim women in the United States. The study tried to answer the following questions: How do immigrant professional Sudanese Muslim women residing in the U.S. perceive their educational and career experiences in America? How do immigrant professional Sudanese Muslim women perceive the impact of their race, gender, and religion on their experiences as they carve their own space within their respective professions? What are the significant issues embraced by these women as they struggle to negotiate a place within American educational institutions and their professions?
The study is informed by Black feminist epistemology as a theoretical framework, and narrative inquiry as a method within qualitative research for data collection and analysis. Individual interviews, researcher’s journals, and field notes were used to collect the narratives of five educated Sudanese Muslim women who live and work in the U.S. The analysis of the data revealed several findings. First, the participants reported several encounters of discrimination and prejudice due to their race, gender, religion, accented English and immigrant status. Second, despite the fact that both racism and sexism perpetuate black women’s oppression in the U.S. (Collins, 2000; 1998; hooks, 1990; Crenshaw, 1997), most of the participants did not feel gender discrimination. Third, all of the participants have experienced religion discrimination, although it was harsher for those who wear the Islamic dress. They also reported that the incident of September, 11/2001 terrorist attack have heightened the enmity against Muslims.
The women’s narratives revealed that racism, sexism, accent, and religion did intersect in their experiences, at different levels, which negatively affected them during their educational pursue as well as in the workplaces. However, the participants’ stories reflected their resiliency and determination which helped them to defy discriminatory acts, stay positive, and achieve success academically and professionally. Further, implications for educational institutions and workplaces were discussed, along with recommendations for future research.