A recent poll from the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication asked Americans the question: do people in your community view Muslims as being more “us” or more “them.”
Almost three quarters of Americans, 71 percent, said more “them.”
UD Associate Professor of Communication Lindsay Hoffman says the survey also shows some reasons why that is.
"Many Americans don’t necessarily understand the religion, or don’t necessarily know anyone personally who is Muslim. They do have strong perceptions about where they belong in American society, and I think that’s in large part due to the kinds of language and policy discussions we’ve had in this country over the past year or so,” said Hoffman.
The UD Center for Political Communication poll found 69% of those surveyed do not believe Muslims are part of mainstream society and only 44% knew someone who is Muslim personally. 53% of respondents support President Trump’s travel ban.
The poll was conducted in conjunction with the Center for Political Communication’s National Agenda speaker series, which is focusing this fall on divisions in the United States.
Hoffman says it’s a necessary conversation.
“What we’re trying to do here is understand what Americans are feeling, what they are thinking about various divides facing the nation and then offering some model of civil dialogue. How can we talk about this?” said Hoffman.
The poll’s margin of error is +/- 3.6 percent.