Orientalism

According to Pyne, the U.S. government has contributed to anti-Arab prejudices by way of the Patriot Act, as well as the wars overseas because when people feel attacked, they tend to assess who is on their side and who is against them. According to the article, Americans are looking for social cues to define who we should be nervous about. The U.S. Government also requires that all males from mid-eastern countries to register with the authorities. This new practice is sending a message to the world that men from these countries are dangerous.

Orientalism is a word that describes people of the orient, but does not differentiate between the various cultures and history. It started as a type of stigma that grouped all people of Asian descent together, but now encompasses all cultural grouping where origin and custom is disregarded. Orientalism is considered the proper term for grouping cultures together as a whole, regardless of geographic location. One example of orientalism is an inherent conflict between Christians and Muslims because both religions are monotheistic. Another example of orientalism occurred at a series of world's fairs. Most people at this point viewed other cultures in terms of orientalism, but ended up with a more specific idea of what the cultures and their different customs really were about.

In the aftermath of 9/11, people from Middle Eastern countries were grouped into only one dangerous category; Al Quaeda followers. Regardless of what their religious orientation is, we as Americans oftentimes consider them to be terrorists, and a culture to be feared. Viewing people of Middle Eastern descent in this manner, is contributing to hate crimes against these individuals.

By teaching tolerance to our children, as well as to young America in general, we can help to reduce hate crimes. Another way to end prejudice is to support the victims of such hate crimes, and therefore set an example