Understanding & Supporting MENA & Muslim Students

By Shaza Jendi, Andrena Mason, Bisma Nasir, and Carola Suárez-Orozco
English PDF  

Research shows that today, there are an estimated 3.85 million individuals of Middle Eastern and North African origins in the United States, 1.35 million of which are children. Muslim Americans are a diverse and growing population, currently estimated at 3.45 million people of all ages, including 2.15 million adults. In this Immigration Initiative at Harvard Educator Brief, we provide an overview of who MENA and Muslim families and students are, offering insight into their complexity and internal diversity. With a few key principles in mind, we make recommendations to help administrators, staff, and teachers adopt culturally responsive methods to support Muslim and MENA students.

For media outreach about the brief, please contact: immigrationinitiative@harvard.edu