Most Arab and South Asian American Muslims are upper-middle class, shaping their politics

Evidence

Sheehi argues that Middle Eastern (both Arab and Iranian) and South Asian Muslims, who make up 45 percent of American Muslims, are overwhelmingly upper-middle class. This class position explains their assimilationist approach, which allows them to “maintain a sense of ethnic belonging while also benefiting from the class privileges that are firmly rooted in middle-class white America.” — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 718

Categorization

• XREF: Class-based analysis of minority politics parallels the Immigrant Ambivalence literature on ethnic enclave assimilation strategies. — connects to: Middle Eastern and South Asian Muslims’ upper-middle-class position drives their assimilationist religiosity-over-racism framing — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 718; Upper-middle-class status drives mainstream Muslim groups to avoid race analysis — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 730; Early American Muslim elites were better educated than most white Americans — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 353

Broader Connections

• Middle Eastern and South Asian Muslims’ upper-middle-class position drives their assimilationist religiosity-over-racism framing #corroborates (1.00) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 718
• Upper-middle-class status drives mainstream Muslim groups to avoid race analysis #corroborates (0.85) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 730
• Early American Muslim elites were better educated than most white Americans #expands (0.72) — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 353