I Am Not a Problem, I Am Canadian: Exploring the Experiences of Canadian-born Muslim Women Who Practice Hijab

Abstract

This research explores understandings of what it means to “be Canadian” for Canadian-born Muslim women who practice hijab, an outward expression of personal identity practiced by some Muslim women and visible by the covering of the head and modest clothing. The women’s identity negotiations occur within discourses of Orientalism and multiculturalism, which construct the women’s identities as outside of social and state conceptions of what it means to “be Canadian.” Through dialogic, reflexive, and collaborative research processes guided by theories of antiracism feminism and modes of narrative inquiry, the experiences of Canadian-born Muslim women who practice hijab contribute to a growing understanding of manifestations and processes of racism in Canada. The women’s narratives and understandings of what it means to “be Canadian” highlight the reality of our present Canada so we can formulate our resistances and move forward in our journeys toward creating new realities.