Redefining Racial Boundaries: Racial Identities of Muslim Middle Eastern and North Africans(MENA)in South Florida

This research examines the racial identity of first- and second-generation Muslim immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the U.S., focusing on their double racialization stemming from their religious and racial identities. I explore how Muslim MENA individuals navigate their racial identities in shifting historical and institutional contexts, influenced by both racial constructions and stigmatizations associated with Islam. Focusing on Muslim MENA immigrants in South Florida, I argue that micro, meso, and macro-level factors play a role in developing a distinct and internally diverse MENA identity. Through in-depth interviews with 30 Muslim MENA immigrants in South Florida, findings show a shift from a traditional Black-White racial dichotomy to other non-White identities. South Florida's local immigration dynamics further shape racial identification as non-White, while transnational racism—manifesting as regional racist discourses carried into the diaspora and merging with anti-Blackness in the U.S.—also plays a significant role. This investigation contributes to theoretical frameworks of race and racialization, offering significant insights into the racial dynamics of the MENA community within the broader U.S. society.