Discrimination Against Middle Eastern Americans

After September 11, racial profiling against Middle Eastern Americans began to intensify. Not only was discrimination, harassment and hate crimes being perpetuated by United States citizens, but institutionalized discrimination began to take effect. Middle Eastern Americans could not believe that the country who had welcomed them and helped them had begun to take such severe measures that humiliated them. The United States began the implementation of the National Security Entry – Exit Registration in September 2002 as part of the War on Terror strategy. This system required that individuals from the Middle East but specially from Iraq, Iran, Sudan and Libya have their finger prints taken, photographed along with registration every time they

These acts began motivating and causing isolated and small group discriminations against Middle Eastern Americans. The media also contributed to spreading panic as it would cover the events in a biased way and would mention that everyone should be careful and watchful when being around these individuals. In the first nine weeks after the terrorist attacks there were 700 violent crimes against Middle Eastern Americans just because they “looked” Muslim due to their race or ethnicity (Conan 2011). While in 2015 there were 91 aggravated assaults and 120 intimidation crimes that physically injured individuals; in total for the year 2015 there were 257 hate crimes against Middle Easterners (Kishi 2016) . This discrimination was fueled by islamophobia and caused individuals to act against this specific group of people. One act of discrimination happened in Florida in a church where a pastor on a September 11 anniversary burned Korans in front of Middle Easterners as a signal of discrimination against them (The NPR Analysis 2011). Other cases were reported where Middle Eastern Americans who were working in stores, restaurants or any public place would have customers approach them and yell at them telling them to leave and go back to their country, they would be insulted and told that they and their families should die too

Many have changed the style of how they dress; the women have stopped wearing veils or loose long clothing. They have stopped talking their native language, Arabic, in public places. They have stopped attending mosques or any activity related to their religion. (Quamie 2010) . Not only did they change their physical appearance for fear that they may die but because busineses were not employing Middle Easterners any more. Successful business where afraid of Middle Easterners and were rejecting anyone who applied for a job. Even graduates like doctors, teachers and nurses where being discriminated due to their race (Quamie 2010). The Ontario Human Rights Commission also reported an increase in depression, anxiety, and psychological problems within the Middle Eastern Community. This rise is associated with the traumatic discriminatory events Middle Easterner Americans have had to live through. A study done by the American Psychological association that was published in the Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology studied 600 Middle Eastern Americans post September eleven. These individuals were tested and monitored for depression, anxiety. It was found out a quarter of them reported back they had from moderate to severe depression and anxiety. These results were higher