A Look at Asian American Studies - Emery McKee - Ryan Caragher - Emma Rohrer - Gabe Velazquez

THEN AND NOW

V olpp talks about how Arabs, Muslims, and people with Middle Eastern appearances are racially profiled and targets of violence following the event of 9/11. They are not looked at as American citizens, but rather assumed to be terrorists, based on their racial appearance. Much like the Japanese that were put into internment camps during WWII, they are assumed to be potential enemies. Volpp describes the response of many Americans after 9/11, “... over one thousand incidents of violence- homes, businesses, mosques, temples, and gurdwaras firebombed; individuals attacked with guns, knives, fists, and words; women with headscarves beaten, pushed off buses, spat upon; children in school harassed by parents of other children, by classmates, and by teachers.” In January 2020, President Trump retweeted a photoshopped image of Nancy Pelosi in an Iranian headdress and Chuck Schumer in a turban. His press secretary said that it was because Democrats are “almost taking the side of terrorists and those who are out to kill the Americans.” This is just one example of how Donald Trump has stirred up the anti-Muslim sentiment. Even back in 2016 on the campaign trail, Trump claimed “‘Islam hates us,’” portraying Islam and by extension Muslims, as an angry, monolithic ‘other’ dead set on destroying the American way of life. With those three words, Trump set the tone for the years to come, fueling an ‘us versus them’ narrative that has widened deep fissures within our society.” The original article was written close not long after the events of 9/11 and it is sad to see that Islamic hate crimes and violent acts continue to be prevalent almost 20 years later. The anti-Islamic sentiments keep getting agitated by the action taken by the Trump administration including the “Muslim ban” on travel. “The president’s use of Islamophobia as a weapon has undermined our country’s values, tarnished our image abroad, and weakened our ability to lead by example.” Long after 9/11, it has remained popular to target Middle Easterners who are identified by their racial appearance. Our current president seems determined to make the situation worse rather than standing up for the equality of all American citizens no matter what their ethnic background may be.