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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
RACIAL PROFILING TO FIGHT TERRORISM?
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:57:05 PM)
acial profiling has come to represent the most fearsome form of institutionalized racism. For minority Americans what could be scarier than the prospect of being subject to systematic discrimination by powerful law enforcement agencies capable of invading every sphere of one's life? For Asian Americans the dangers of racial profiling are amply illustrated by the World War II internment of Japanese Americans and the more recent Wen Ho Lee case.
The September 11 terrorist attack suggests a scenario in which racial profiling might not only be acceptable but necessary. Fact is, every terrorist linked to the plot was an Arab male. One wonders if the horrible tragedy that took thousands of innocent lives and plunged our economy into crisis could have been averted had our intelligence, law enforcement and security agencies been given a freer hand to subject airline passengers to intensive searches and background checks on the basis of nationality or ethnicity.
Rational Americans may question whether it is even possible to conduct a workable campaign against terrorist attacks on American soil without intensive resort to racial profiling in airports, at border crossings and hotels. After all, terrorists are fighting a holy war premised strictly on religion and nationality. Despite the obvious dangers of racial profiling, it seems reckless to suggest that the United States can fight terrorists in a race-neutral fashion. Why subject every American to the same levels of delay and discomfort when only a small percentage fit the profile of potential terrorists? On the other hand, are we ready to undermine the constitutional and moral high ground on which our society is built?
The newly declared war against terrorism may well be the ultimate test of our sincerity in rejecting racial profiling. Is it time to rethink our position?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
Louisiana Lebanese American,
you wrote
"Arab Americans are as much American, if not more American than many white Americans. I do resent the fact that you imply white is American and Arab is foreign. Arab Americans were born in this country"
Hello...I never said that america means white.
May I ask which one of the 9/11 hijackers were american born? As far as I know they were all foreigners who took our liberties and used them against us tragically.
No one is here talking about targeting arab americans. As long as you have proper identification proving that you are american born you're probably not on the FBI/INS/CIA hit list.
you wrote "In fact, David Duke is a distant relative of mine and has Arab blood."
Yuk...are you kiddin'...that would make me turn blue. The guy gives me the creeps. He's sick.
you wrote "It has changed in most places, but Louisiana is still a backwater."
You can include most southern states and cities with only a few exceptions like atlanta, austin, houston and probably new orleans.
We have a long way to go to cure racism, but things are getting better.
Political Observer
Saturday, August 10, 2002 at 22:24:33 (PDT)
Historian:
We really do need to take ethnic politics into consideration in this discussion. As much as I don't condone racism based on skin color for obvious reasons, realize how important it is for politicians to facilitate and to protect their "bread and butter". It's unfortunate, but persons with foreign passports really don't have a prayer when it comes to government crackdown on foreign terrorists.
Yes, we have laws that protect citizens and foreign nationals, but politics says that intelligence and law enforcement officers have more room to be aggressive when it comes to persons who are not US born citizens.
"However, as I have said before, would the US first intern Spencer Abraham, John Sunnunu, Darrell Isa, Jannine Shaheen and her family or Susan Haik Terrel, or because of their lighter skin complexion would they get the privileged honorary white status."
When it gets down and dirty John Sununu and Darrell Isa may be targeted to. America is a racist country. Each race has it's own enclave and civil rights group. Why? Because when the rubber meets the road everyone is going to run for cover to their own ethnic group and if their numbers are not great, then you'll have to fight even harder and become even more resourceful to be heard and to survive.
"With perhaps the creation of society similar to Apartheid South Africa, where whites (including Turkish and Middle Eastern women) had all the privilege and non-whites were give the scraps and pass books to control their mobility?"
Problem is we already have a defacto systetm like that here in the United States. It really pisses me off that young black men can't behave becaue when you think about it if you've been convicted of a felony and on parole, and you're uneducated, unemployed, socially misfitted and, subsequently, pissed off at whites and Asians, then you've just been socio-economically and politically disenfranchised - you're basically in slave status again. Does that sound familiar to you? It should. It's called an Americanized version of Apartheid. Sad, huh?
"And all this because of the incompetent and ignorant white Americans working in the FBI, CIA or some other organization who think Indian is same as American Indian?"
Yes, it's nothing but old fashioned plain racism. It sucks and it sucks even more when it happens in your own damn country.
"There has always been an element in this society who want to return to Jim Crow days and terrorism is always used as an excuse."
Yes, it's called the GOP/Republican Party and white supremacist groups. They won't be happy until ALL people of color are subjected to some form of discrimmination.
I oppose racial profiling because it's fundamentally and constitutionally wrong, but also because it plays right into the hands of white racists.
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Saturday, August 10, 2002 at 12:46:24 (PDT)
This is a story of racial profiling gone awry, and this happened barely twelve hours ago here in Northern Virginia. I was on a train between downtown and Vienna station around 10:00 PM yesterday. Three white women got in at the Foggy Bottom station and fit the stereotype of Asian Dominatrix's views. They were so cocky it was not funny...they were essentially saying that going to even white underserved areas was beneath them and was the work of Asian women and foreigners. But, suddenly a white male jumped through them out of nowhere and pulled the scarf from the heads of two Russian women who were on the train. "off the train," he said, "get off the train." "Infidels", he shouted, "I want you off this train." Two others, one white and one black subdued him and pushed him away and held him until the metro police came and took him away. I am sort of afraid that racial profiling would lead to these kinds of problems. For, I do not think that many agents are much more smarter than this white chap who mistakenly thought that any scarf wearing person has to be a moslem. I used to think that with globalization Americans would be more educated. Obviously not.
Novasian
Friday, August 09, 2002 at 06:57:00 (PDT)
"All those radical Muslim sympathizers who cheer when the US is attacked need to think about how it's affecting their relatives here in the United States."
Most came here at the turn of the twentieth century and do not have relatives in the Middle East. However, as I have said before, would the US first intern Spencer Abraham, John Sunnunu, Darrell Isa, Jannine Shaheen and her family or Susan Haik Terrel, or because of their lighter skin complexion would they get the privileged honorary white status.
"In fact, discrimmination will inevitably lead to internment or some type of confinement of Middle Eastern and South Asian men."
And to offset the privilege given to light skinned Arab Americans, would the government go after dark skinned (almost black) Hindu South Asians..who know nothing about Islam or do not care to know much about Islam? And let us take it one step further...if Aby Sayeff attacks Americans in the Far East or elsewhere, would whites start interning Chinese or Japanese Americans because they look like Abu Sayeff (at least in the eyes of ignorant whites)? Where does it all end? With perhaps the creation of society similar to Apartheid South Africa, where whites (including Turkish and Middle Eastern women) had all the privilege and non-whites were give the scraps and pass books to control their mobility? And all this because of the incompetent and ignorant white Americans working in the FBI, CIA or some other organization who think Indian is same as American Indian? I think it all comes down the racial bigotry of white Americans rather than any deep understanding of Middle Eastern terrorism? There has always been an element in this society who want to return to Jim Crow days and terrorism is always used as an excuse.
Historian
Thursday, August 08, 2002 at 15:48:43 (PDT)
"Dude, don't be silly. Foreign terrorists have proven to be a more acute threat and white terrorists have proven to be an aberration."
Arab Americans are as much American, if not more American than many white Americans. I do resent the fact that you imply white is American and Arab is foreign. Arab Americans were born in this country. 70% of the white population in Louisiana has Lebanese blood, and 50% of them deny this side of the heritage and vote for David Duke. In fact, David Duke is a distant relative of mine and has Arab blood. Will white Americans ever get it that there are Americans other than them?
"Things have changed though. Just think about it, it is common practice for the white house and the president to issue a statement when hate crimes are committed (james byrd, amadou diahlo, tyisha miller). It's not perfect, but times have changed for the better."
It has changed in most places, but Louisiana is still a backwater.
"Like I've said before, foreign terrorists must have their elusive capabilities taken away."
You mean people who hold foreign passports.
Louisiana Lebanese American
Thursday, August 08, 2002 at 15:37:28 (PDT)
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