From arab fishing to passing: identity issues fueled by the culture of social media

Abstract

The aim of this article is to introduce two of the various social phenomena that have proliferated globally over the last decade in relation to the 'usurpation' and concealment of identity: arabfishing and racial or ethnological passing. The article examines how non-Arab and non-Muslim people take actions to be seen as members of such ethnic/racial or religious identity categories. It also examines how people of Arab origin, and usually Muslims, develop the ability to be seen as belonging to such groups, in most cases in order to increase social acceptance, to cope with stigmatisation and to try to gain certain privileges by conforming to 'Western standards'. It is argued that these social phenomena appear to be a direct consequence of a society based on a neoliberal logic in which identity itself, despite its inherent or intangible nature, is conceived as an exchangeable and marketable commodity. Social networks become the ideal medium for analysing these phenomena and their consequences, since identity in the digital space is a determining economic factor.