My Study

The Arabic term “abd” is a noun that translates to “servant” or “slave”. Many religious Muslims and Arabs also use the word for their own spiritual devotion, defining themselves as “Abd Allah”, or “Slave of God”. However, the word “abd” has also become infamously used to describe a person of darker skin complexion, including people of African descent. The research problem I will be studying is the way that Yemeni American Muslims living in central California interpret and perceive the Arabic word “Abd”. My research question focuses on the use of the Arabic word “Abd”, which has religious connotations but has also been historically used to identify individuals with a darker skin color regardless of their religion.

This study takes an inductive and interpretive approach, as I have conducted twelve in-depth interviews in a semi-structured format, with participants ranging from ages eighteen to forty. My study’s objective is to identify whether or not there is a prejudice based on race and/or skin color that occurs within the Arab American Muslim Community. After interviewing participants, there are certain factors I will take into consideration when analyzing the participant’s interpretation of the term. These factors include gender, education level, first learned language, status of immigration, and self-identifying religiosity.

Undergraduate Researcher

• Research theories and similar intersecting studies on race, religion and language.
• Transcribe and analyze the raw data of interview participants through using sociological theoretical frameworks and coding.
• Maintain deadlines and confidentiality with my research advisor, Dr. Rhonda Dugan, as well as the CSUB Grasp Office.
• Presented research findings at CSUB competitions and the 2019 Pacific Sociological Association conference.

What I'm Currently Working On

In June 2019 I got my study renewed by CSUB's Institutional Review Board, which allows me to extend my data through interviewing more participants. Currently, I have a total of twleve interview transcriptions, which I am in the midst of coding. Before the expiration of this renewal, which is in June 2020, I hope to have collected more data through interviewing more participants who fit under the described demographic.