Living Our Religions: Hindu and Muslim South Asian-American Women Narrate Their Experiences

by Narayan,Anjana

• ISBN13: 9781565492714
• ISBN10: 1565492714
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-15
• Publisher: Lynne Rienner

Summary

The population of the South Asian Diaspora in the US is over 2.5 million people. Yet in a post 9/11 climate of opinion, little is known about this group beyond images of Muslim and Hindu fundamentalists and terrorists. This is particularly true of women where simplistic assumptions about veils and subordination obscure the voices of the women themselves. Rarely are Hindu and Muslim American women'”many of whom are social workers, physicians, lawyers, academics, students, homemakers'”asked about their everyday lives and religious beliefs. Living our Religionsbrings out these hidden stories from South Asian American women of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian and Nepali origin. Their accounts show how diverse and culturally dynamic religious practices emerge within the intersection of histories and politics of specific locales. The authors describe the race, gender, and ethnic boundaries they encounter; they also document how they resist and challenge these boundaries. Living our Religionscuts through the myths and ethnocentrism of popular portrayals to reveal the vibrancy, courage and agency of an 'œinvisible' minority. Other Contributors: Shobha Hamal Gurung, Selina Jamil, Salma Kamal, Shweta Majumdar, Bidya Ranjeet, Shanthi Rao, Aysha Saeed, Monoswita Saha, Neela, Bhattacharya Saxena, Parveen Talpur, Elora Halim Chowdhury and Rafia Zakaria

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
Religion, Gender, Boundaries
Transgressing the Sacred-Secular, Private-Public Divide	p. 23
The Interconnecting Humanity: Connections Between Our Spiritual and Secular Worlds	p. 47
Islam through a Mosaic of Cultures	p. 65
At the Crossroads of Religions: The Experiences of a Newar Woman in Nepal and the United States	p. 81
Color of God: Resplendent Clay of Hindu Images as the Glow of the Ineffable	p. 97
I Am Muslim First	p. 115
Red, Bulls, and Tea: Cultural Hashing of a 1.5er (A.K.A. Second-generation Reflections)	p. 129
Interpretive Intervention: Religion, Gender, and Boundaries	p. 147
Religion, Practices, Resistances
The Many Facets of Hinduism	p. 155
Living Hinduism and Striving to Achieve Internal and External Harmony	p. 179
Mapping the Memories of a Nepali Woman in the United States	p. 195
Bengali, Bangladeshi yet Muslim	p. 211
Religion as Inspiration, Religion as Action	p. 233
Muslim Women between Dual Realities	p. 249
Challenging the Master Frame through Dalit Organizing in the United States	p. 265
Interpretive Intervention: Religion, Practices, and Resistances	p. 281
Conclusion: Human Rights, Religions, Gender	p. 285
Appendix: Methodological Notes	p. 297
Bibliography	p. 301
The Contributors	p. 317
Index	p. 323
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