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abstract: Historically, colonizers, immigrants, and enslaved Africans served as carriers of Islamic culture to Puerto Rico, and today, that Islamic element is often unassumingly intertwined with the Puerto Rican culture. Using Bourdieu's concept of habitus as the framework, this dissertation engages customs and mannerisms of Puerto Ricans to reveal the imprint and legacy of Muslim Spain and the Islamic heritage of West Africa in Puerto Rico. It makes a study of the Spanish language to include vocabulary, proverbs, songs, and games that carry vestiges of Arabic language and culture. Most importantly, it also addresses an inherited religious and cultural tradition rooted in the history and legacy of Islam and Christianity and the human experience of cultural and religious phenomena of conflicts within Medieval Spain. Of particular focus, Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol in Loíza, Puerto Rico (a Moor and Christian celebration in honor of St. James, the Moor Slayer) offer a uniquely different expression. The celebration not only displays remnants of cultural and religious practices influenced by several world traditions such as folk Catholicism, Santería, Espiritismo, and Islam, but embraces the Vejigantes character which symbolizes the Muslim. The implications of these celebrations attest to a historically covert Muslim presence or at least a less biased conceptualization by the Puerto Rican people regarding Muslims. Unlike Medieval Spain, where Muslims were deemed invaders from 711-1600's, the religious, cultural, and political history of Puerto Rico does not suggest a deeper legacy of conflict that includes Islam as an adverse religious and cultural tradition. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Religious Studies 2017

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant to fund Youth for One World, a program designed to help Arab American youth predominately residing in Los Angeles and Orange counties develop leadership skills and participate in mainstream American society. The literature review described the shortages and benefits of Arab American youth involvement in leadership opportunities within mainstream America, the importance of empowering Arab American youth, and theoretical frameworks of increasing their leadership skills.</p><p> The Weingart Foundation was selected as the potential funder. The goal of Youth for One World program is to enhance leadership capabilities and promote Arab American youth by providing opportunities to build skills and proficiencies through engagement in activities that encourage and promote competence and support the involvement of Arab American youth in mainstream America activities and prospects. Actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for successful completion of this project.</p>