Expanding the representation of Muslims featuring Evelyn Alsultany

The Latinx Identity Project

Hola, bienvenidos, and welcome to the Latinx Identity Project. This is a podcast where we tell stories for us and by us. I am your host, Elsa Iris Reyes.

Today’s guest is Evelyn Alsultany, a Muslim-Latina author and scholar.

Join us as we discuss Evelyn’s experience as a Muslim-Latina in the US, religious diversity and inclusion in the U.S. and her new book, Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion.

Be sure to check out the show notes to learn more about Evelyn and ways you can learn about the importance of expanding the representation of Muslims in the media.

And if you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast.

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More about Evelyn:
Even though 25% of the world's population is Muslim, only 1% of TV characters are Muslim. Much of the portrayals that do exist are often unnuanced and perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

The novel, Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion (NYU Press—November 22nd, 2022), in which Muslim Latina author Evelyn Alsultany argues that Muslims are only included through “crisis diversity,” an institutional pattern of crisis (such as high-profile Islamophobic incidents), response, and then inertia until the next crisis.

Alsultany notably co-authored The Obeidi-Alsultany Test to help Hollywood improve representations of Muslims—what some label the Bechdel test for Muslims—and serves as a consultant for Hollywood studios, making her a leading expert on the history of representations of Latinas, Arabs, and Muslims in the US media, and anchoring her argument that diversity initiatives often end up marginalizing Latinas, Arab Americans, and US Muslims, while lasting, systemic change remains elusive.

This is the first book to examine how Muslims and Latinas are included across a range of US institutions (the media, corporations, universities, and law enforcement), emphasizing the different ways that they respond to anti-Muslim racism.

To get in touch with Evelyn and more guests like Evelyn, please check out Coriolis Company
A special thank you to Nanda Dyssou for getting me in touch with Evelyn. Thank you for your support of the show!

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Artwork and intro music by Emmanuel Reyes @trueloathing