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The effects of cultural assimilation
Cultural misconceptions and stereotypes
The effects of cultural assimilation
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“Why do you have a chunky, brown paste oozing out of your lunch pail?” Steve, my third grade science partner and best friend asked. That day I hurriedly packed my lunch from my grandma’s house while my parents were away at Hajj, fulfilling their religious duties. While I felt ashamed and embarrassed by my poor lunch packing skills, my friend strangely asked to try some of my lunch - white rice and halal chicken cooked in a concoction of Afghan curry. While indulging in a typical Afghani lunch, Steve exclaimed how great it was. After explaining to him that my lunch was made using halal meat, he spits out the food and says that he hates that kind of meat as if he had some form of an allergy to the way an animal is slaughtered. I brushed off this …show more content…
This was never more clear to me than the day that Osama Bin Laden was killed. I had just expended all of my energy running a mile when my classmates began to poke fun at me. One boy shouted, “I’m sorry to hear about your uncle, you terrorist. Maybe its time you go back to your Arab country and take over Al-Qaeda.” At this moment I had flashbacks to whenever there was an incident of violence brought about by someone who identified as a Muslim and how my family, especially my mom, would be pressured into masking their identity. My mom wears a hijab, but with mounting anti-Muslim sentiment she hasn’t felt comfortable being herself in a post – 9/11 America. After the flashback, I muttered to myself, “I wish I wasn’t a Muslim in America.” At this precise moment I realized that I had failed myself, my mom and all of those before me by dissociating myself from, rather than embracing, my culture. I let my classmate’s bitter words turn into my own bitter thoughts and that has been my biggest lesson learned in life – to find the strength to be myself when my way of life is constantly
Hijacked planes were purposely flown into the twin towers in New York and killed about 3,000 innocent people. This was one of the most disastrous incident to ever occur during the era. After the release of who caused the attack, lots of people from the Islamic culture were the center of attention right after the event. They were falsely accused of being called terrorists without little to any evidence. It was mainly because of their appearance and beliefs. It was more like racism and stereotypes towards them. Society has painted them to be these terrorists because they were feared and immediately got the wrong idea when they approach them. The day the terrorist attack happened, it sparked a new beginning for their culture. They not only felt scared when they were around them, but they felt like they were going to become a part of a violent attack that they’re going to cause without them acknowledging it. It can be disrespectful and rude to assume they’re terrorist but they didn’t care. It was “[society] [who] feared what [they] don't understand. In a frenzied state of irrational behavior [they] will point fingers and name names and accuse the innocent because [they] are afraid” (Garcia). Society was terrified for their lives. They made them feel unwelcomed and unwanted. The fear exponentially rose and became a problem when they wanted to fly to a destination. Lots of “Americans became paranoid
One of Sultana Yusufali’s strongest arguments in “My body is my own business” is her scrutinization of the exploitation of female sexuality. Initially Yusufali writes about the injudicious individuals that assume she is oppressed by her hijab. Thereafter, she describes them as “brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress”. Moreover, Yusufali’s word choice is intriguing as she utilizes the word “brave” when laymen hear this word they habitually associate the aforementioned with heroic, valiant and courageous. Consequently, Yusufali ensues to comprise her opinions on the hijab and how it carries a number of negative connotations in western society. Furthermore, Yusufali proceeds to strike on the importance
Fatemeh Fakhraie’s essay “Scarfing it Down,” explains how Muslim women suffer because of what they wear. Fakhraie blogs about Muslim women in her website she explains; “Seeing ourselves portrayed in the media in ways that are one-dimensional and misleading." Several people judge Muslim's by their appearance because they assume they're a bad person. The author of this essay wants the reader to know that Muslim women wearing a hijab are not a threat to the world.
Ariana Donaville’s article “Muslim American Women on College Campuses” was published in Fashionista on May 13th, 2017. In this article, Donaville explains the changes that Muslim American women on campuses had to face prior and post 9/11. She explained how the Muslims students on college campuses were treated prior to 9/11 and post 9/11. She also elaborates on how most Muslim American women on campus have to hide their true/real identity to “Fit in” with other college students from different races. She also states a proposal/what can be done to make college life safer and more enjoyable for Muslim American students. This article was published by Fashionista, an independently owned magazine that is available to many journalists in the world. Dovaville is currently a college student at the University of Oregon who wants to help the Muslim American women at that institution to have a voice. This article will help me explain a proposal/provide a solution on how to make campuses more comfortable for Muslim American women.
The story is about a sixteen-year-old named Amal Mohammed Nasrullah Abdel-Hakim. Amal is an Australian-Palestinian-Muslim girl who lives in Melbourne with her father and mother. During the second semester at McCleans Preparatory School, Amal can’t decide if she should or shouldn’t wear the hijab as a full timer. While she is stuck on the decision she asks for advice from her best friends Yasmeen and Leila from her Islamic junior high school. When she told her parents her idea of wearing the hijab, they ask her if she was sure that she wanted to deal with such a big change in her life. As a test-run, Amal goes shopping with her mom while wearing the hijab. After three hijab-wearing women say “Assalamu-Alaikum” to Amal, she gets a sense that wearing a hijab binds Muslim women together and she feels much more prepared to continue full-time.
For some women wearing a veil is not something that is forced on them but rather a choice of their own. Martha Nussbaum and Maysan Haydar are both authors that try to explain their reasoning that veiling isn't an oppressive tool used against women. Martha Nussbaum's article “Veiled Threats”, is a political and philosophical take on why banning the burqa is a violation of human rights. On the other hand Maysan Haydar’s article “Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering”, is a more humorous and personal take on why veiling shouldn't be as judged or stereotyped. Though Nussbaum and Haydar have equal goals this essay is being used to understand the main argument, claims and whether or not each article has any weaknesses.
Ever pass by Muslim woman in a hijab at the mall or park and think how oppressive and restraining her culture must be? Maysan Haydar, a New York social worker who practices the Muslim tradition of veiling, believes otherwise. In her article, “Veiled Intentions: Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering,” Haydar highlights on her experiences as a Muslim living in an American culture, where showing more skin is the “norm.” Haydar speaks specifically to a crowd who unconsciously makes assumptions about certain Muslim practices, in hopes of sharing the truth behind them. Haydar suggests that, contrary to popular belief, not all Muslim women cover themselves strictly as an “oppressive” religious practice, but that some women, like herself, find
The attitudes toward Muslims today have not changed significantly since September 11, 2001. Any Muslim person; man, woman, or child is automatically suspect to instigate pandemonium, based strictly on their appearance and faith. Regardless of any evidence, reasoning, or perspective to the contrary, Muslims are seen as an enemy to United States citizens. The events of 9/11 left Muslim Americans unceremoniously lacking any respect from U.S. citizens regardless of any affiliation with Al-Qaida. We assess Muslim people with a common image of terror. We see the turban or hijab and assume a terrorist is hidden within its folds. Our mentalities inevitably come to a paralyzing halt, and we can never see through the fabric of the religious garments. When we see any one of these people, one person comes to mind, and that is the person who attacked our country. Today, in our nations cities and towns these arrogances still exist forcefully. Muslim people are still profoundly victimized and discriminated against by the means of assumption and negative mental sets. In the novel Zeitoun, author Dave Eggers takes time to assess the spitefulness encountered by Kathy and Abdulrahman Zeitoun, along with narrating the family’s endeavors with hurricane Katrina. Zeitoun presents racial differences in America, primarily in New Orleans, by discussing how they are created and the ways in which they exist today.
On September 11, 2001, since the terrorist attacks, many American Muslims have been stereotyped negatively in the United States. Salma, a Muslim woman, says that the way Muslims have been recognized in the media has played a big role in the antagonisms directed to her. “I don’t know how many time I heard my classmates accuse me of being al-Qaeda or a terrorist” (Mayton 2013). Salma, along with other Muslims, even after a decade, are still struggling with trying to find their “American” and “Islamic” identities, while facing verbal attacks for their ethnicity. Too often, the general Muslin population gets lumped in with the immoral acts of a few because of the lack of knowledge about their culture.
She makes the case that Western feminists have radically misinterpreted the veil. For many Muslim women, the veil acts as a divide between the public and private. The veil may actually liberate women from “the intrusive, commodifying, basely sexualizing Western gaze”. The veil frees women from the oppressive hyper-sexualization of found in Western culture. Reducing the veil to a symbol of oppression disregards the possibility of female agency outside a Western feminist paradigm. The veil has the potential to liberate women in the public space. Projecting our Western notions of sexuality and gender roles denies the possibility of different forms of sexual
The way Muslims have been treated after the 9/11 incident is very different than before. Before 9/11 there was certainly some discrimination towards Muslim Americans, but after the attacks happened, between the years 2000 and 2001, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported a 1,700 percent increase of hate crimes against Muslim Americans (Khan & Ecklund, 2012). “While trying to adapt to the outcome of 9/11, Muslim Americans dealt with an increase in negative stereotypes spoken by the common culture, and Muslim immigrants faced more negative attitudes than any other immigrant group” (Khan & Ecklund, 2012). Since the 9/11 attacks, people who dress with a substantial resemblance to Muslims worry about the upcoming hatred and unfriendliness from people of other ethnicities (Khan & Ecklund, 2012). While listening to the media, one can hear reports of negative stereotypes towards people who resemble the Muslim religion, which may be assumed that these people are violent. Negative attitudes that Muslim Americans experience may have detrimental effects on their success in America and their success of achieving the American Dream.
In the short story, Saint Chola, a young Muslim girl is faced with many challenges, the kids at school taunt her for the hijab she wears upon her head. A hijab is an article of clothing from Islamic religion. Her hijab is tugged on during P.E. class multiple times by the same boy. She remains emotionally resilient through the taunting not showing tears or sadness. “And you’ve made up your mind about the hijab. It stays. No matter what” (Kvashay-Boyle). Instead the girl could have broke down and cried from the taunting but she remained resilient by not letting it bring her completely down. The girl’s faith and resilience is tested when she is at an American’s house for Girl Scouts activities, where she is confronted by another one of the young girl’s mother regarding her hijab. The mom questions the hijab and also tells her to take it off and that she does not need to wear it. The young Muslim girl is puzzled by this then proceeds to fail in showing mental resiliency. She fails because she later regrets her decision to take the hijab. She also feels as if she has betrayed her religion and dishonored her parents (Kvashay-Boyle). Some situations make it very difficult to be
The author expressed, “Kathy had not wanted their family to become collateral damage in a war that had no discernible fronts, no real shape, and no rules” (252). Both Kathy, a converted Muslim, and Zeitoun, a born Muslim, knew what the future looked like in terms of discrimination and inequality. The idea of islamophobia is so open to different interpretations, and the fight against it has not yet accomplished all of the goals. The war against Islamophobia, as well as other discriminatory debates, has shown to be a dirty one. Many opinions are gathered and slurs are formed, which make immigrating as a Muslim very difficult. America is known as the land of the free, but for many families of the Muslim faith, it does not always feel that
299). The study consisted of having in-depth personal interviews to share their experiences of being a Muslim American woman (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 300). Veiling to these women was a way of freedom while also having a Muslim identity (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). It was also a source of behavior control, to not be sexually objectified, a way of commanding respect from others and even a source of checking their own behavior (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 301). One of the women interviewed said, veiling to her was a way to feel connected to other Muslim woman who veil (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 302). Veiling can be a way to feel connected to your religion and God as well as being connected to those who practice the same faith, it can be considered an act of membership. Many of the women interviewed noted they have been removed from planes, been treated unfairly, and have had strangers shout at them all for just being Muslim and being more visibly recognized from veiling (Anderson Droogsma, 2007, p. 303). This is an example of how media can affect the general population. When the media only shows radicals and compares all Muslims to being terrorist or dangerous they are actually putting Muslim people at risk of being assaulted in public. Muslim woman in particular are more at risk for being assaulted as they are more identifiable. So while veiling can be a source of empowerment and freedom for women it is a double-edged sword because it also puts them at further risk of being
This ultimately, reflects how Muslims around the world have endured manifestations of Islamophobia, whether verbal or physical during the 21th century. And these are not just grown adults, toughened by life’s challenges in the face of adversity: children and teens also face subjugation in and outside of school, particularly females on account of wearing the hijab, or veil. Repetitive, harsh treatment at such early ages not only puts the child’s mental health and development at risk, but also may cultivate a negative view of western society, deepening the chasm that contemporary Islamophobia has begun to carve between Muslim-Americans and other Americans. It does not help that Islamophobia is only helping ISIS.