Musulmans du sous-continent indien à New-York : culture, religion, identité
Institution:
Paris, EHESSDisciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
After having presented a picture of the different south asian muslim communities, established in america and analysed the history of their presence in the united states, i have furnished some precise demographic and economic data on these populations. I have also examined their socio- cultural and religious integration into american society, at an individual and familial level, with emphasis on both the first and second generations. Finally, i have studied the implementation of institutions, the ethnic identifications and the political organisation of these segments. From the findings of this research. South asians benefit from a very high level of education: this has ensured their structural integration in the united states and has entailed a migration experience rather different from that of the muslim populations that have migrated to europe. Despite this structural integration. Smith asian muslims do remain very keen to perpetuate their ethno- religious heritage, even though this heritage has undergone some transformations, a logical consequence of the diasporic situation. The importance of religion is significant in the identity construction of these migrants. Even before migration, religion has been playing a major role in south asia: in pakistan, where islam is theoretically the raison d'etre of this country ; in india, where muslims form a significant minority. Besides, because of a dialectical relationship between migration, religion and nation, the migration process has provoked the exacerbation of nationalist feelings, which in the case of south asian muslims, has taken a religious dimension. The identification to islam is thus more significant in the country of migration than in the country of origin. Despite an insidious discrimination against islam, a periodic source of identity withdrawal, the islamic religion seems to play a structuring and stabilising role (rather similar to the role played by other religions like catholicism and judaism), which strengthens the migrant in a way, helping him to participate in american society. Lastly, south asian muslim immigrants in the united states seem to be well-equipped to tackle islam rationally, so as to understand the contemporary transformations in the light of the quranic message
Abstract FR:
Apres avoir brosse un tableau des differentes communautes musulmanes, originaires d'asie du sud, installees en amerique du nord, et introduit un historique de leur presence aux etats-unis, j'ai presente des donnees demographiques et economiques sur les populations concernees. Puis, j'ai tache d'analyser leur integration socio-culturelle et religieuse dans la societe americaine, a un niveau individuel et familial, tant dans la premiere que dans la deuxieme generations. Enfin, je me suis penchee sur l'implantation des institutions, les identifications communautaires et l'organisation politique de ces populations. Il en ressort que les sud-asiatiques se caracterisent par un niveau tres eleve d'instruction, ce qui a assure leur integration structurelle aux etats-unis et a rendu leur experience migratoire assez differente de celle des populations musulmanes immigrees en europe. En depit de cette integration structurelle, les musulmans sud-asiatiques n'en conservent pas moins un attachement pregnant pour leur heritage ethno-religieux meme si celui-ci subit des transformations, consequence logique de la situation diasporique. Les referents au religieux revetent, en tout cas, une dimension fondamentale dans la construction identitaire des immigrants concernes. Avant meme l'immigration, la religion joue en effet un role capital en asie du sud : au pakistan, parce que l'islam est theoriquement la raison d'etre de ce pays ; en inde, parce que les musulmans y vivent en situation minoritaire. D'autre part, du fait d'un lien dialectique entre migration, nation et religion, le processus migratoire a eu pour consequence l'exacerbation des sentiments nationalistes qui, dans le cas des musulmans sud-asiatiques, ont revetu une dimension religieuse. L'identification a l'islam devient donc plus marquee, en immigration que dans le pays d'origine. Malgre une discrimination voilee contre l'islam, source periodique de crispations identitaires, la religion islamique parait remplir un role structurant et stabilisateur (equivalent, en cela, a celui joue par d'autres religions (catholicisme et judaisme notamment)), qui fortifie en quelque sorte le migrant, l'aidant a participer a la societe americaine. Enfin, les immigrants aux etats-unis semblent bien armes pour apprehender l'islam rationnellement, de maniere a saisir les mutations contemporaines, a la lumiere du message coranique.