In Hopes of a Better America
The Earth has a great level of diversity and difference in its people, and America is the focal
point for crossover between different cultures. Yet among the diversity that blesses our country with
multiple points of views, adversity is still faced by the minority. First amendment rights to religion - and
by extension - culture, are being oppressed due to the fervor of anti-terrorism sentiments that have
arisen in the wake of 9-11. Muslims have been barred from worship, their religious sentiments have
been made synonymous with anti-American sentiments, Sikh people have been profiled and made the
target of atrocious actions, and lately, any Asian (be it West, South, East, or South East) who has dark
skin and wishes to don a beard gets looks at the airport. Not just the right to religion is being violated,
but more importantly, the right to individual culture is. As an Indian who has the blessing of having
multiple views of the world (Indian and American), I disapprove of this development because locally, it
has done much to hurt me, and nationally it has done much to hurt many people who can identify with
what I’ve been through.
The contemporary idea of right to culture is an equal right as well as a civil right, and addresses
the disrespect and adversity many people have had to face. It is a civil right, neglect of it has led to
racial profiling and unfairness in many environments for victims of its violation. While it is the duty of
the United States government to ensure the protection of its citizens, the way it does so comes off as
rude and disrespectful. It may be the airport’s duty to make sure airplanes have nothing illegal or
harmful being brought into the country, but when the subject of their inspections is almost always a
brown-skinned person – questions get asked. I can recall countless stories of my friends missing flights
and having to stay at airports for 12 extra hours, because they were pulled aside and inspected. Right to
culture is also an equal right because everyone has culture. Even if it isn’t different in our society like
Japanese or Russian cultures, the everyday American Joe still has his own culture. Just because one’s
culture is different, he should not have to be subjected to different treatment than his peers.
Further evidence of the neglecting the right to culture is the banning of ethnic studies classes in
Arizona. In the wake of 9/11, many Sikhs have been attacked. Referred to as “Muslim Terrorists”, this
peaceful people of Northwestern India have hit a wall of ignorance. The first problem with this is that
many times people resort is violence. Americans have killed, beat, and culturally deprived Muslims, as
well as Sikhs in the past 12 years. The second problem is ignorance; people attack Sikhs, calling them
Muslim terrorists – when they’re not even Muslim. They have no respect for the very distinct cultures.
Further deprivation of an education that society is already lacking in many areas will do nothing but hurt
this country more! If people were to take ethnic studies classes and respect different cultures, the
misconception that Islam is a religion of violence would also drop. This would educate the uninformed
people who are responsible for attacks on Sikhs and Muslims, and hopefully drop the rates of violence
and disrespect.
Because of the ignorance of many people, I have been subject to hurtful words and actions.
After Osama bin Laden was announced assassinated, some people brought me flowers – offering
“condolences” about my granddad. On the school bus I have had notes thrown at me saying “go back to
Afghanistan you terrorist”. As a proud Hindu Indian, not only did my peers’ neglect of my culture sadden
me, but that they would poke fun at the trauma that happened to our shared America also triggered
disappointment. In order to help put an end to such violations to the right to culture, we should set up
guidelines for how to pick out suspicious people at airports and implement ethnic studies classes to
educate people about the diversity of the world. If we do this, the next time a Koran is burned, or a Sikh
child bullied and forced to cut his hair and violate his religion, there will be more of a sense of shame
and remorse. By understanding the troubles of its many peoples, America would become a safer and
more respectful setting.