Stereotypes must be resisted now

They say that every generation has its turning points, when everything seems to stop. It could be a war, the death of a president or a natural disaster.

I think every American of this generation can say that September 11, 2001, was that day. A day that imprinted a lasting memory in our lives. Everyone could remember where they were at that very moment.

It changed us in many different ways. It changed me as a person, my friendships, my family life and my faith.

I grew up in New York City, and every time I looked at the Twin Towers it made me proud to live in the greatest city ever. They made New York's skyline the best in the world. At the same time, I had taken its symbolic meaning to me for granted. Never once in my mind would I have thought that we were going to lose the towers, and in such a way.

9/11 also changed my look on racism forever. As a young boy, I didn't really know what that word meant. I never felt the burden it caused on me.

Everyone knows what group of people caused the tragedy, and everyone know why. I am a young male of Pakistani descent and have a Muslim name. After the Twin Towers dropped for good, no stranger looks at me the same way.

The stereotype of my minority, in my eyes, will never be totally cleared. Ironically, I am now scared to go in the airport, let alone board a plane. Not because of what might happen to the plane, but because of what might happen to me because of what society has labeled me.

I am afraid of being treated differently than everyone else, being watched more than anyone else on the cameras, and being the guy that is asked more questions about my passport.

I have even been beaten on by people for the simple reason of being different. This has made me stronger and yet cursed as a person.

Ever since those incidents have occurred, I do not look at people the same way. I always look at the angles, and it is hard for me to trust someone. I look at all people as if they are going to look down on me.

Ironically, my way of thinking can also be looked upon as being a form of stereotype.

I believe that this philosophy is the same for most of my family. We cannot go out as a family without having our defenses up. In the back of our minds, we always know that we could encounter a situation where people will look at us for what we look like rather than what we are inside.

One day, my father took the family out for ice cream. There was another family ordering at the register next to us. As they were leaving to find a bench to sit at, I saw the youngest of the family was left behind and had two ice cream cones in his hand.

I went to help him to the bench, holding one of the cones for him and a handful of napkins. His family went back for napkins as well, so when I got him to the bench, I told him to sit down and wait for his family.

As my family was getting into the car, I saw the little boy waving goodbye to me. Just when I smiled and was about to wave back, I saw his mother smack him and look me dead in the eye. She then said to her son, "I never want to see you wave to an Afghani ever again."

I was not mad at the mother, but more shocked at what the little boy's face looked like when she told him this. It was a look of astonishment, and I could tell what he was thinking: How could the boy that just helped me be bad?

Days like those have brought my family closer together.

My relationship with my friends has not changed very much. Luckily, I have chosen loyal friends. The only thing that really changed is little jokes about my race that occasionally slip out.

If it was not for my faith. I think I would take incidents such as the ice cream shop differently, Knowing that I am Christian instead of Muslim gives me some sense of belonging, and for that I am grateful.

If anything, my faith has gotten stronger. It is one of the few positive changes that have occurred. My faith has also eased my thoughts towards strangers and showed me that not all people judge me for my ethnicity.

Even though life has not been any easier because of the World Trade Center attack, it has made us stronger as a nation. There is a wisdom that was gained by all that might not have been gained if it did not happen.

No one person can prevent an attack like that, and no one person can cause an attack like that. Tragically, that is one of the lessons not yet learned from 9/11.

(11/16/06) [[In-content Ad]]