Constructing the enemy

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Embarking on a journey to the land of opportunity was, in the eyes of many immigrants, the most viable step in constructing a new life of freedom and equality. America had become the trademark utopia- a place where one could find acceptance and work, to begin a family and achieve success: the American dream. However, not long after immigrants began pouring in did they start to feel the welcoming gates of America close on them. Acts were soon passed that discriminated against unfavorable ethnicities entering the US, which fueled resentment among Americans. Whites began to dehumanize unwanted immigrants, capitalizing their differences to spread prejudices thus creating their enemy (Memmi 190). The construction of an enemy, as described by Stein, is evident in response to hurricane Katrina, stripping middle easterners and African Americans of the American ideals of equality and opportunity.
Balancing the war on terror and the impact of Hurricane Katrina, America began to intertwine its fears on the frontline with fears faced at home, depriving innocent foreigners of their earned citizenship by referring to the past. In her article, “Construction of an Enemy”, Eleanor Stein discusses the integration of xenophobia into the national policy of the United States (198), which is evident in Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. Following the storm, the military takes Zeitoun, a well-respected husband and father, into custody without any reasonable suspicion. Zeitoun comes to realize that “in the minds of some Americans, the very thought of two Syrians paddling through New Orleans together after a hurricane would seem suspicious enough” (255). Zeitoun is initially reluctant to believe that his government would resort to racial profiling, but the fear o...

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...ul and valued aspect of American life, basic rights were the first point of attack against an enemy, which is exhibited by the US government following Hurricane Katrina. Even though Zeitoun had been a model American citizen and was the emblem of the American dream, America turned on him based on his ethnicity and the past tragedies it tied him to. Zeitoun, now morphed into the enemy, was arrested without reason and was denied of all rights that must been granted upon arrest. Not only were Middle Eastern citizens targeted, but black and poor citizens as well. At a time where the country needed to stand together and provide each other support, the government had turned on many citizens based on suspicions and prior stereotypes. Not only were these foreigners deprived of their American rights, but lost all human treatment as well, because they were made the enemy.

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