Kids & Family

Islamophobia Still Plagues Muslims Living in the Silicon Valley

A new study surveyed more than 1,100 Muslims living in the Bay Area.

The quarter-million Muslims live in the San Francisco Bay Area face ongoing, entrenched Islamophobia more than a decade after 9/11, according to a new study.

The Bay Area Muslim Study: Establishing Community and Identity”  found 40 percent of Muslims in the region have experienced personal discrimination and 23 percent have been victims of a hate crime. The discrimination against Muslims was particularly pronounced in school-aged children, the study found

“More than a decade after 9/11, we see that Muslims of all ethnicities and backgrounds are still dealing with a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, a lot of bias,” said Hatem Bazian, Ph.D., one of the principal researchers and a University of California, Berkeley, senior lecturer said in a prepared statement. “Unfortunately, the tragic events in Boston won't help the problem.”

Bay Area Muslims cope with cultural isolationism, socioeconomic factors and immigration issues, according to the study. 

Santa Clara County has second-largest Muslim population in region, at 27 percent.

Alameda County is home to 37 percent of the approximately 250,000 Muslims living in the Bay Area. Four other counties have smaller populations:

  • Contra Costa County — 12 percent
  • San Mateo County — 6 percent
  • San Francisco County — 3 percent
  • Marin County County — 1 percent

The study, which surveyed more than 1,100  Muslims living in those six counties, found there were significant income disparities within the Muslim community. The median household income is $70,686, lower than the average for the general Bay Area region of $77,879. South Asian Muslims had the highest income levels, but some families made far less, with 11 percent of Muslim households reporting an income under $20,000 annually. 

Muslim immigrants in the Bay Area tend to be well-educated and multilingual, the study found. Among survey respondents, 74 percent had attended some college, 25 percent had earned a graduate degree and 5 percent had a Ph.D. Over 71 percent speak a language other than Englihs and 67 percent speak at least three languages. Researchers attributed the high rate of bilingualism to high tech companies recruiting employees from India and Pakistan.

But the study found that Muslim refugees, such as those from Iraq and Afghanistan, have tremendous needs for social and legal services. The larger Muslim community would benefit from opportunities for coalition building and collaboration with non-Muslim civic organizations to prevent isolationism among Muslims, the study stated.

“The Bay Area Muslim Study: Establishing Community and Identity” was commissioned by the One Nation Bay Area project, a partnership between The San Francisco Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Marin Community Foundation and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.

Download a complete copy of the study here.


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