Rhetoric Race and Religion
When I saw the “Mipsterz” video, “Somewhere In America,” I thought to myself, “This is me.”
I may not wear hijab. I may not go to the mosque every Friday. But I am an American Muslim, and this video illustrates just one of the many ways that it’s possible to be one.
However, other Muslims are often the very individuals that make it most difficult for members of the community to authentically express themselves, as the Twitter storm over “#mipsterz” has demonstrated.
In short, the 2-and-a-half minute film features strong, fashionably dressed, confident young women wearing hijab as they hang out, pose, laugh, and explore, with the Jay-Z song “Somewhere In America” as their soundtrack.
A predictable wave of op-eds promptly followed the release of “Somewhere In America” that bashed the video, its “message” or lack thereof, its participants, its intent, and everything else about it. Some of the criticisms are valid, but the immediate outrage and the rapid judgement need to stop if the Muslim community hopes to move forward. The lazy backlash against this innovative video just discourages further creativity, generating a chilling effect on progressive dialogue.
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