Zareena Grewal

Zareena Grewal is an Associate Professor at Yale University, holding appointments in American Studies, Ethnicity, Race, and Migration, and Religious Studies. She is a historical anthropologist and documentary filmmaker whose work examines race, gender, religion, nationalism, and transnationalism in American Muslim communities. Her research traces the intersections of Islamophobia, identity politics, and global religious networks. Grewal has received grants from prestigious institutions like the Fulbright, Wenner-Gren, and Luce Foundations.

Her notable works include the book Islam is a Foreign Country: American Muslims and the Global Crisis of Authority (2013), an ethnography of transnational Muslim networks, and the film By the Dawn’s Early Light (2004), which critiques racialized perceptions of Islam. Her forthcoming book, Is the Quran a Good Book?, explores the Quran’s role in American cultural and political discourse.

Grewal’s research spans topics such as refugee care in Greece, the legacy of Malcolm X, and pedagogical approaches to anti-racism. Her work frequently engages with issues of Islamophobia, transnational solidarity, and the ethical dimensions of humanitarianism. She has been recognized for bridging academic scholarship with public-facing activism.

• Awards: Fulbright Foundation Grant, Wenner-Gren Foundation Grant, Luce Foundation Grant
• Grants: Extensive funding from leading academic foundations
• Labs/Teams: Engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations on migration, religion, and social justice