Patriotism

Patriotism vs. Ethnic Pride: An American Dilemma

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese in America were segregated from the rest of the population. Many businesses owners put up signs that said, "Japs Keep Out!" Many Japanese, who were once proud of their heritage, tried to hide their ethnic past. They stopped speaking Japanese altogether. In many households, English was the only permitted language. They got rid of their items from Japan, such as clothing, books and letters.

Upon thinking about recent times, we do not want the same events to happen again. Why should people lose their identities because someone else's wrong doings?

Since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the U.S., many Arab-Americans have been treated poorly. For example, gas station owner Hasson Awadh was the target of an attack that seemed to have no purpose other than vengeance. He ducked behind the cash register just before a masked gunman fired a rash of bullets right through the station's supposedly bulletproof glass.

Arab-Americans

In Washington D.C., Muslim women have had their hijab scarves taken from their heads and there was a bomb threat at a mostly Muslim school in Dearborn, Michigan. A mosque in San Francisco was splattered with pig's blood. Mariam Barki watched television in sickness as she saw images of West Bank Arabs celebrating the attack on America. She was also sickened when she heard that her Arab neighbors were being spat on.

In some places, it is still a dangerous time to display Muslim identity. College student Faiza Mohammed was asked by a police officer to take off her head scarf. For a devout Muslim woman, it is like asking her to take off her clothes. He further violated her rights when he proceeded to search her car without a warrant.

American Flag

Many Arab people are being treated poorly and we should all try to help them. We can do this by helping other people to understand that they are peace-loving people and that the actions of a few do not reflect the attitudes of all Muslims. We should try to make a difference in our world today. For example, to show their patriotism, Arab groups urged their members to donate blood and raise money for the September 11th victims. Now that's the true spirit of America!