story883.xml

story883.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-07-11

Sept 11th did not only have its affect on americans but also arab americans were affected too. They make it seem as if we do not care about America when it is our country too. America is made up of many nationalities. There isn't any pure americans. There are Arab American, Hispanic Americans. Black Americans and so on. No group is superior to the other, no one is perfect. Every nationality has a few rotton apples that certainly doesnt mean all are bad. If we lived in a world where if one person committed a horrific act that means whatever his/her nationality maybe that they are all the same ... I think not. That is like saying every black man is like O.J Simpson or that every white man is another Timothy McVay. It is wrong to accuse a whole nationality for one or a few people wrong doing. Sept 11 is a tragedy for all. Everyone felt what happen it felt as if you youself lost someone close to you when you in actuallity didnt. Everyone felt hurt and cried......... my family and I even felt the pain and we cried too it is our country too we are Arab Americans. After Sept 11th "Americans" became so filled with hatred and wanted to hurt and get rid of arabs. Why is that because an arab committed this act what does that have to do with the rest of us just because we are arabs too. The media is what filled everyones minds with hatred towards arabs. Saying that every arab was happy and dancing in the street. One not everyone is the same. Second there is a variety of arabs that are catholic, muslim, orthodox etc. Why is it when Arabs come to mind they think terrorist or muslim. It is because that is what the media has filled in their heads. The events of Sept 11th changed my views on the world. I felt very little respect for people who were bad mouthing arabs on and off tv and even online. On AOL you find many americans with their profiles saying we should kill all arabs, we should destroy their countries, who should deport them etc. We even have americans come into arab chat rooms and curse us out. I dont see anything done to stop this! People thought that the events of Sept 11th would make the arabs scared and run. For what!! Did we do this? NOO. It was my first semester at college and the day after i went back to school and people were bad mouthing arabs and teasing girls that are muslim. Well i dont take anything from anyone so i stood up for myself I said I am an Arab American and i have a right to be here i am a citizen and i vote. I also stood up in one pf my classes because a few students said they disliked arabs that they should destroy arab countries. I stood up and said I am an Arab American and told them not all arabs are the same how can you even say that you dislike arabs because a few people that did this terrible act. I gave them the examples of OJ Simpson and Timothy McVay and they felt pretty stupid and afterwards they apologized. Even my cousin who is a shy girl was in a sociology class with a professor that did not know he had an Arab American student in his class was bad mouthing arabs everyday...... she is a person who keeps to herself and does her work and couldnt believe her professor. This bad mouthing of arabs hasnt stopped. People still have hatred toward arabs but that is not going to stop us from living our lives. We are human, we are people, we bleed just like the rest of you guys, we cry, we mourn, we are no different from anyone and no one is different from us.

My name is Nariman and I hope people will stop being ignorant and treat everyone equally.
We are in America aren't we !