Stereotypes On Pop Culture

Breaking Down Religious Stereotypes on Pop Culture: An Analysis of the Muslim-American in the New Muslim Cool (2009) by Jennifer Maytorena Taylor

This film analysis will define the break down of negative stereotypes of Muslim culture through the context of Muslim-American pop culture as defined in New Muslim Cool (2009) by Jennifer Maytorena Taylor. Taylor (2009) present Hamza Perez and his family as an example of a positive presentation of Muslim –Americans that have been demonized by the American media in the post-9/11 era. Perez uses hip-hop culture as a means of expression to denounce the stereotypes made about Muslim people in a white American society. In essence, a reflection paper will be brought forth to identify the break down
of negative stereotypes of Muslim-Americans in New Muslim Cool (2009) by Jennifer Maytorena Taylor. In Taylor’s (2009) film, I found that the focus on the Perez family made an important statement about the way Muslim-Americans is stereotyped in a white Christian American society.
Hamza Perez is the leader of a rap-group called Mujahidin that endorsees Muslim rights by informing the listener to the message that they are broadcasting to the people in the Islamic-American community. I found that name “Mujahidin” to be a powerful statement on how the American media stereotypes “holy war” in contrast to how Perez speaks about the meaning of this word outside of American military culture:
Radio Announcer: A Mujahidin is a person that engages in “jihad”. In the post-September 11th world, this is a very…I mean, ya’ll picked a very strong
name.
Perez: Jihad does not mean “holy war.” Ya know, we tell its struggle; we struggled everyday. (Taylor 5:26).
This dialogue defines the myth of “holy war” that is often shown by the American media. In the mainstream news, I often hear about Muslims as being terrorists or people that want to age war against America. However, Taylor (2009) breaks down the negative stereotypes of how Muslim-Americans view the War on Terror by being American citizens. Perez’s rap group, therefore, is not a threat to American society, but they do protect their rights by presenting themselves as being “Mujahidin” in the quest to remove the negative images of them in the community.
Taylor (2009) also identifies the similarity of American life through Muslim-American culture, which was not too different from what is found in other American families.
In the film, Perez has his own family, which allows the American viewer inside the home of the American-Muslim. Perez is seen in one film talking to his wife, as the picks up his child (while is crying after having fallen down) and comforting him in the kitchen (Taylor (28:29). This type of domestic point of view shows the child playing with American toys and dressed in a very similar way as other American children. More so, the Perez’s wife talks about getting a business degree to further her career objectives, but that she is also a worker making a wage at Comcast to pay the bills: “Right now my mindset is how can I get everything more stable...I started working in December, and my shift is 4 to 12:30. It’s just customer service at Comcast” (Taylor 41:21). Although this film about a “Mujahidin” rap artist, the Perez family is really living life through an American perspective. Perez and his wife must work to make money, which defines their everyday presentation outside of a “terrorist” propaganda by the mainstream media. These are important aspects of the film that denounce negative stereotypes of Muslim-Americans that are simply working day-to-day to make ends
meet.
In conclusion, Taylor (2009) also shows the positive family life of the Perez family in the New Muslim Cool, which focuses on creating a positive image for young people to follow. More so, the film defines the positive ways in which popular culture, such as hip-hop music, can engage the American public to let go negative stereotypes associated with terrorism in American-Muslim communities. The documentary style of the film provides evidence of Muslim-Americans as being American citizens, and not terrorists that are seeking to destroy the American way of life. I found Taylor’s film to unravel many of the myths about Muslims and the Muslim religion that breaks down negative stereotypes related to Islamic culture. Taylor uses popular culture in rap music to expose the similarities of the American people, regardless of their religious background.