Grade: 5-12Subject:
English Language Arts, U.S. HistoryNumber
of Activities: 3
Breaking Through (1980s – 2010s). The terrorist attacks on September 11,
2001 marked a turning point in American policies toward immigration,
privacy, and the ways South Asian Americans were perceived and treated
after. Students will learn about the various ways South Asian Americans
have experienced disproportionate and targeted racial profiling, hate
crimes, and other acts of discrimination. They will also learn about the
ways in which South Asian Americans responded to the 9/11 attacks and
the aftermath, providing insight into how immigrant communities are
often caught between the pressures of representing themselves in a way
that appeals to the expectations of the status quo, and the desire to
practice their culture and traditions in a way that allows them to fully
embrace their cultural and ancestral identity.
Students will:
-
Explain how the 9/11 attacks influenced behaviors, attitudes, and
policies of the United States towards South Asian Americans.
-
Explain how the behaviors, attitudes and policies toward South Asian
Americans after the 9/11 attacks affected their communities.
-
Explain how local and global events contribute to xenophobia, and
Islamophobia as it pertains to South Asian Americans.
“Victimized Twice”: 9/11, South Asian
Americans & Islamophobia Essay
On September 11, 2001 (referred to as 9/11), the United States was
attacked through the use of hijacked airplanes to strike designated
targets, including the World Trade Center in New York City. These
attacks were coordinated by Al-Qaeda, an Islamic terrorist group. While
the group recruited from a number of countries and regions, the
terrorists in this attack, including their leader Osama Bin Laden, were
from Saudi Arabia (CNN Library, 2019). Shortly after, many South Asian,
Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern Americans reported
racial profiling,
hate crimes, and other discriminatory acts stemming from fears generated
by the attacks because they were scapegoated for 9/11. (Iyer, 2015).
After 9/11, the citizenship and loyalty of South Asian Americans in the
United States was questioned. According to comedian and activist Hari
Kondabolu, South Asian Americans were “victimized twice” in the wake of
the attacks. They too also feared terrorism like their fellow Americans,
but the country they lived in and loved, hated them because of the
attacks. Many Americans began to view South Asian Americans as
"un-American" because of their skin color, ethnic garb, language,
religion and other visible and invisible markers of cultural and
ancestral identity. If you weren't White, or more specifically, looked
like one of the terrorists who attacked America, you were likely a
terrorist, a terrorist sympathizer, or simply not American. These acts
of prejudice and hostility against anyone who appeared to be Muslim due
to their skin color, ethnic garb, language, religion and other visible
and invisible markers of cultural and ancestral identity, came to be
called
Islamophobia.
Dark-skinned South Asian Americans who wore a turban; spoke in Urdu,
Arabic, and other languages besides English in public; identified as
Muslim; frequented
mosques and
gurdwaras; and owned or worked in gas
stations and other small businesses were often the targets of
retaliation for 9/11 (Iyer, 2015). On September 15, 2001, Balbir Singh
Sodhi, a Sikh American, was killed in the first 9/11-related
hate crime
at a gas station he owned in Mesa, Arizona, by Frank Roque, a white
airplane mechanic, who reportedly told friends he was going to “shoot
some towel-heads.” According to a report by Asian Americans Advancing
Justice, over 500
hate crimes were reported during this period.
The 9/11 attacks and subsequent irrational fear towards immigrants had
severe implications for American security and immigration policies. In
October 2001, Congress under the Bush administration passed the USA
PATRIOT Act to stop and punish terrorist acts in the United States and
around the world, and allowed for the legal surveillance of certain
communities. The DREAM Act, which would have provided a pathway to
citizenship for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as
children, failed to pass. The government instead concentrated its
efforts towards deportations. And as recently as 2017, the Trump
administration attempted a "Muslim ban" to deny the entry of individuals
from a variety of predominantly Muslim countries to the United States
(Kight, 2020).
To highlight their patriotism, some South Asians would hang the American
flag outside their homes or businesses, stop wearing turbans or hijabs,
stop speaking their native language in public, or visited houses of
worship less (Iyer, 2015; Joshi, 2006). Some non-Muslim South Asians
also distanced themselves from Muslims, dividing the South Asian
American community. In essence, some South Asian Americans felt they had
to make extreme efforts to assimilate into white American culture by
willingly risking the loss of their cultural, ancestral, hybrid
identity, or at the very least, risk losing the ability to openly share
their cultural and religious identity with the nation.
Since 2001, South Asian Americans have actively resisted and countered
the harmful stereotypes and assumptions of their "un-Americanness.”
Dozens of grassroots organizations aimed at supporting South Asians and
educating the American public have grown across the country, such as The
Sikh Coalition and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).
Additionally, South Asian representation has significantly increased in
various government offices. Examples include Nikki Haley an Indian
American former governor of South Carolina and currently U.S. ambassador
to the United Nations; Kamala Harris an Afro-Indian American formerly
California State Attorney General and U.S. Senator from California, now
Vice-President of United States; and Ravinder Bhalla, a Sikh American
currently mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey.
Works Cited
Dhingra, P. (2007). Model Americans and minorities: Racial identities
and responses to racism. In P. Dhingra (Ed.),
Managing multicultural lives: Asian American professionals and the
challenge of multiple identities, (pp. 84-123). Stanford University Press.
Iyer, D. (2015). We too sing America. The New Press.
Joshi, K. Y. (2006).
The Racialization of Hinduism, Islam, and Sikhism in the United
States. Equity & Excellence in Education, 39(3), 211-226. DOI:
10.1080/10665680600790327
- Gurdwara: a Sikh shrine or place of worship1
-
Hate Crime: when a crime is committed or conspired to be committed on the basis of a person’s specific characteristics. In most
states, characteristics include race, color, religion, sexual
orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. At the federal
level all these characteristics are included as well as national
origin.2
-
Islamophobia: Islamophobia is a fear, hatred, or prejudice
toward Islam and Muslims that results in a pattern of discrimination,
oppression and violence. Islamophobia must also be understood as a
system of both religious and racial animosity that is perpetuated by
private citizens as well as cultural and political structures.3
-
Mosque: a building used for public worship by Muslims4
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Racial profiling: the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for
suspecting someone of having committed an offense5
-
How did the 9/11 attacks change the way South Asian Americans were
perceived and treated? How have other Asian Americans or other racial
or ethnic groups been treated similarly?
- What risks did the perceptions pose for South Asian Americans?
-
What were ways in which some South Asian Americans countered these
perceptions?
-
How did the 9/11 attacks influence America’s policies on immigration?
-
What is Islamophobia? How do local and global events influence
Islamophobia?
-
How might it have felt for South Asian Americans to be “victimized
twice” and have phrases like “go home” or “go back to your country”
yelled at them? Is it fair to say such phrases to people, even during
times of distress/emergency like the attacks on 9/11? Why or why not?
Activity 1:
What does it mean to be
“victimized twice?”
-
Begin this activity with a class discussion analyzing the quotes and
stories by the two South Asian Americans featured in the video, Hari
Kondabolu and Ansar Mahmood. Before showing the video, ask students to
pay attention to what Hari Kondabolu and Ansar Mahmood say.
Share Hari Kondabolu’s quote:
“One of the weird parts about being a Brown person in that post
9-11 era is you get victimized twice. Like on one hand you're
afraid of terrorism as much as anybody else is at that point, like
that's all you're hearing from the media. And then your country
hates you. They don't, they don't say it openly, but when people
are yelling things to you, telling you to go back to countries
you're not even from because you're from America.”
After viewing the video have a group discussion:
-
What does Hari Kondabolu mean when he says that South Asian
Americans were “victimized twice?”
-
What do phrases like “go home” or “go back to your country” imply
about the person/people it is directed at? (Keep in mind we are
all Americans.)
-
What does it imply about the person/people who say such phrases?
-
How do you think the person these phrases are being directed at
feels?
-
Is it fair to say such phrases to people, even during times of
distress/emergency like the attacks on 9/11? Why or why not?
-
In the video, Ansar Mahmood speaks positively about America and
Americans despite being a victim of racial profiling.
- What is racial profiling?
-
Do you think what happened to Ansar Mahmood is a case of
racial profiling?
-
Do you think what happened to Ansar Mahmood is fair? Why or
why not?
-
What is his local community’s reaction in Hudson, New York?
-
What might be some reasons for Ansar Mahmood’s hope and
optimism toward America and the American justice system?
-
Ask students to do research on a prominent racial profiling case
(e.g., Ansar Mahmood) or hate crime case targeting South Asian
Americans after the 9/11 attacks. Create a timeline that highlights
important moments leading up to the case/incident and what happened
after.
-
Include relevant details that provide context for how the
individual or the community was treated (e.g., important
social/political events happening at the time, new laws that were
passed or policies that were enacted).
-
Include South Asian individuals or groups who emerged as positive
changemakers, activists, or leaders in the fight for justice
during the particular case/incident.
- Include at least five citations, including the documentary.
For an overview of the effect of 9/11 on South Asian Americans and
examples of infographics, consider reviewing these two infographics
from South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT):
https://saalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/18-Years-Since-9_11-P1.png
https://saalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/18-Years-Since-9_11-P2.png
Optional Activity:
Hari Kondabolu is a comedian who initially pursued law. He later
became a comedian that addresses socio-political issues. Comedy can be
an effective way to bridge audiences while sharing a specific point of
view. Research Kondabolu’s sketches and routines, and pick a piece in
which you feel he captures a part of the South Asian American
experience, particularly as an immigrant.
You can find clips of his routines on Netflix, YouTube, or his
website,
http://www.harikondabolu.com/videos/
Analyze a sketch/routine and the message behind it. Write an “op-ed”
piece on the clip that explains the message he is trying to share, the
analogy or joke he uses, and how it is or is not effective in getting
his point across.
Activity 2:
Proving your Americanness
In the video, Norman Mineta, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation
under President George W. Bush recounts the story of how after 9/11
there was fear among the American public against South Asian Americans,
and that the president wanted to make sure that what happened to the
Japanese Americans during World War II, didn’t happen again to South
Asians. Soon after the 9/11 attacks, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act
to stop and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the
world. In addition to enhanced law enforcement, the Patriot Act allowed
for the legal surveillance of certain communities. The Patriot Act and
other U.S. policies led to discrimination against South Asian and Muslim
Americans.
-
Instruct students to do research on what happened to Japanese
Americans during World War II, including being moved to incarceration
camps and enrolling in the American military. Have them answer the
following:
-
What happened at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941?
-
What was the U.S. government’s reasons for placing over 120,000
Japanese Americans in incarceration camps when 80,000 of them were
American-born U.S. citizens?
-
Do you think this was fair or unfair to American citizens to be
treated this way? Why or why not?
-
How did Japanese Americans show their loyalty to the United States
during the war?
-
How did South Asian Americans show their loyalty to the United
States after 9/11?
-
Next, ask students to look up the USA Patriot Act:
-
Have students write down some of the provisions in the Patriot Act
for fighting terrorism, and analyze how it might be wrongly used
to target certain groups of people, in particular the South Asian
community.
-
Next, ask students to look up the DREAM Act:
-
Have students write down the purpose of the DREAM Act, and the
requirements for citizenship, and how immigrant groups would
benefit from it being passed.
-
As an entire class discuss:
-
How are the attacks on 9/11 similar to the one at Pearl Harbor?
How are they different?
-
Why did President Bush in 2001 not want the same thing that
happened to Japanese Americans during World War II, being placed
in internment camps, to happen to South Asian Americans?
-
Instead of being placed in incarceration camps, what happened to
many South Asian Americans and immigrants after 9/11?
-
What does the Patriot Act allow the U.S. government to do in order
to fight terrorism? Should the government have the ability to
watch certain communities even if there is no evidence of any
wrongdoing? Why or why not?
-
The DREAM Act was scheduled to be introduced before the 9/11
attacks. Why do you think it did not get passed?
Activity 3:
Racial Profiling
-
Have students share their own experience of profiling or research
profiling in their own community or other communities. Examples
include racial, sexual orientation, political, or hate crimes.
Discuss:
- What happened?
- What led to the case?
- What were social or political events at that time?
-
If the incident did not happen to you, have similar incidents
happened to you? How did you feel? Do you think it was fair?
- Did it effect any changes?
- Are there any positive change makers?
- What can be done about it?
To extend this lesson, consider the following prompts for research
projects:
-
Research Executive Order 13769, also known as the “Travel Ban” or
“Muslim Ban.”
-
How did sentiments from 9/11/01 play into the fears and sentiments
that pushed this ban forward in 2017?
-
How did the various impacted groups, organizations, and
communities react and respond to the policy?
Create an informational flyer (i.e., one that might be posted on
a bulletin board at your school, church, or community center) that
summarizes your key findings, such as what the ban is, its relation to
sentiments that were intensified through and after 9/11, its effects
on various communities, and any other relevant information you think
people should know. Make strategic use of formatting and stylistic
elements (headings, tables or columns, boldface letters, etc.) to keep
the flyer engaging and easy to read.
-
Latinx communities, Asian American communities, and Black communities
have all experienced and resisted against anti-immigration rhetoric
and policies in various ways, a key way being through protests and
art. Find and analyze at least 4 pieces of art or protest signs, and
create a collage that depicts an image of the United States as a
nation of and built by immigrants, using the themes, imagery, symbols
depicted in the art/signs you found as you see fit.
In P. Dhingra (Ed.), Managing Multicultural Lives: Asian American
Professionals and the Challenge of Multiple Identities, (pp. 84-123).
Stanford University Press, 2017.
California Common Core Standards Addressed
National Standards for History:
U.S. History Grades 5-12 10.2B.2
Identify the major issues that affected immigrants and explain the
conflicts these issues engendered. [Identify issues and problems in the
past]
U.S. History Grades 5-12 10.2E.4
Evaluate the continuing grievances of racial and ethnic minorities and
their recurrent reference to the nation’s charter documents. [Explain
historical continuity and change]
National Standards for Civics and Government:
Grades: 9-12 II.B.1.1.i
Explain important factors that have helped shape American society, such
as large-scale immigration
Grades: 9-12 II.B.4
Students should be able to evaluate, take and defend positions on issues
regarding diversity in American life.
Grades: 9-12 II.B.4.1
Identify the many forms of diversity found in American society, e.g.,
racial, religious, ethnic, socioeconomic, regional, linguistic
Grades: 9-12 III.E.1.2
Describe how the public agenda is shaped by political leaders, political
institutions, political parties, interest groups, the media, individual
citizens.
Grades: 9-12 V.B.1
Students should be able to evaluate, take, and defend positions on
issues regarding personal rights.
College- and Career-Readiness Anchor Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make
logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing
or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2
Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their
development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze
how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas
and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.7
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on
focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources,
assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the
information while avoiding plagiarism.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1
Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and
collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2
Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and
formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization,
development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.5
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to
express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.5
Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to
express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.6
Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing,
speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level;
demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when
encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.
Grades 11-12:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.2
Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and
build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective
summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in
different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as
in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2.a
Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so
that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a
unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2.b
Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and
relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or
other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge
of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple
sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.8
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and
digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the
strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose,
and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to
maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any
one source and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’
ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from
texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a
thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.c
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe
reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions
on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.d
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments,
claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve
contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information
or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the
task.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats
and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make
informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and
accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a
clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line
of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and
the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to
purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.5
Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio,
visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance
understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.6
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at
the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in
gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase
important to comprehension or expression.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.3
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which
explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the
text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.6
Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event
or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in
diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in
words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary,
into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies
among sources.