Urban enclaves, Muslim identity and the urban mosque in America

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the number of mosques established in America increased considerably, partly due to conversion, for which the dominant number of converts are African-Americans, but also due to the influence of settlement patterns resulting from immigration. There are now more than 1,500 mosques, compared to 600 in 1980, 230 in 1960, and 19 in 1930. In addition, there are 400 Islamic schools (108 full-time), over 400 associations, an estimated 200,000 businesses, and over 80 publications, journals, and weekly newspapers. At present, the number of mosques located in city neighborhoods is 43%; downtown neighborhood mosques, 21%; rural mosques, 21%; and suburban mosques, 16%. Newark, NJ; Brooklyn, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; and Boston, MA, are a few examples of urban areas where urban mosque community organizations were founded during the period of the 1970s to the 1990s. A recent study of mosque attendance among African-American Muslims indicates that 62% attend urban mosques located in city neighborhoods; 27% attend inner-city neighborhood mosques; and 5% attend mosques located in suburban areas. These figures suggest that 89% of the African-American Sunni Muslim communities are located in urban areas.