Behind the Backlash

"In this savvy, research-based book, sociologist Peek (Colorado State Univ.) reports on interviews with Arab and South Asian Muslim Americans conducted after the 9/11 attacks. Peek provides an excellent introduction to the oppressive realities these Americans face, including sharp increases in hate crimes and illegal government spying after 9/11... This important book counters many US myths about Muslim Americans, their origins, and their life experiences. It makes them 'come alive' as important US residents seeking to counter 'othering' by fellow Americans...Summing Up: Highly recommended." -Choice "[A] well-researched, thoughtful examination of how processes of postdisaster backlash heighten social boundaries, despite both popular and scholarly assumptions of solidarity after disaster... One highlight of Peek's analysis is her sensitive consideration of the impact of 9/11 backlash on respondents who are less 'visibly Muslim.'...[The book] is engagingly written and often powerful." -Sociology of Religion