Abstract
After the events of 9/11, increased Islamophobia led to a significant increase in both overt and covert discrimination toward the Muslim American population. Since Islamophobia adversely affected the Muslim American population's wellbeing in a variety of settings, it is important to understand its impact on Muslim American college students. The major objective of this study was to examine a number of experiences and perceptions of religious-based discrimination on campus. Individual face--to--face interviews were conducted with 12 Muslim South Asian female undergraduate students who were recruited from five local universities in urban settings of the northeast region of the U.S. This study used Moustakas's (1994) transcendental phenomenological approach to identify seven major themes: (a) Pathology of different religious groups, (b) assumption of religious homogeneity, (c) endorsing religious stereotypes, (d) a belief that Islamophobia is common and will continue, (e) confusion, (f) a desire to educate others about Islam, and (g) positive coping and support. All participants reported experiencing microaggressions, even those who may not be easily identified as Muslim. The study results may help students, professors, and university counselors gain awareness of the impact of discrimination experienced by a religious minority group on campus and determine preventive measures to promote their safety and wellbeing.