First Hand Accounts
In the documentary Flying While Muslim: Racial Profiling Post-9/11. by Lyra Porras Garzón, a look is taken at post 9/11 and how the main targets of profiling became Arabs and Muslims. August 15, 2006, the Ibrahim family was arriving back to America at the JFK Airport in New York, but was detained along with 200 others that were of Muslim, South Asian, and Arab descent. They were held without food or water for about six hours and were questioned about their views on the Iraq war.
Surnia Ibrahim recalls them taking her passport and telling her to wait for her name to be called for questioning. She says, "There was one European woman, and she told us she thinks the reason they actually stopped her for questioning was because her name sounded Arabic. She was not Muslim, South Asian, or Arab." She also says, "Part of the reason we were told about coming to the US by my parents was because of the American dream and of opportunity. The American dream just unraveled because this is our home and we're citizens here, we are meant to feel like outsiders in our own country, and our rights are violated."
When Surnia Ibrahim says "we are meant to feel like outsiders in our own country", it shows how unfair racial profling can really be. After 9/11, Muslims and Arabs have racially profiled because they are seen as a threat to society due to something that happened in America's past.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FIVE MINUTE DOCUMENTARY
Surnia Ibrahim recalls them taking her passport and telling her to wait for her name to be called for questioning. She says, "There was one European woman, and she told us she thinks the reason they actually stopped her for questioning was because her name sounded Arabic. She was not Muslim, South Asian, or Arab." She also says, "Part of the reason we were told about coming to the US by my parents was because of the American dream and of opportunity. The American dream just unraveled because this is our home and we're citizens here, we are meant to feel like outsiders in our own country, and our rights are violated."
When Surnia Ibrahim says "we are meant to feel like outsiders in our own country", it shows how unfair racial profling can really be. After 9/11, Muslims and Arabs have racially profiled because they are seen as a threat to society due to something that happened in America's past.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FIVE MINUTE DOCUMENTARY
Richard and david's story
From the book "Racial Profiling: They Stopped Me Because I'm ______!", multiple stories of minorites who have been racially profilied are highlighted. In Richards story, he is an African American male in his 60s, who is a resident of Wichita Kansas. Around 3am, Richard, and his brother-in-law were driving his mother and sister to the Amtrak train station. Richard says, "We made eye contact with each other as I turned the corner. (Him and a police officer)" After they made eye contact, the officer turned around and proceeded to follow Richard. After he dropped his mother and sister off, the officer was still behind him. When the officer's sirens were turned on, Richard pulled over. The officer then told him that he pulled Richard over because he passed a stop sign which he did not. He also continued to ask if Richard had any drugs or weapons on him. Richard believes that he was pulled over because he was a "black man driving an expensive car at 3am."
In David's Story, he is a 54 year old hispanic male who has a PhD and was making a 250 mile drive from Manhattan, Kansas to western Kansas with his 17 year old son. While driving on interstate 70, he sees flashing lights in his rearview mirror and pulls to the side of the expressway. The state trooper asked for his license and proof of insurance. After giving his information, David asked why he was being pulled over and the state trooper told him it was for speeding. Then, the state trooper asked David and his son to step out of the car. In doing so, David remembers seeing the trooper having one hand on his gun and searching through his car. Without having a probable reason to search his car, David believes it was because he is Hispanic and he might've thought he would find drugs or weapons.
In David's Story, he is a 54 year old hispanic male who has a PhD and was making a 250 mile drive from Manhattan, Kansas to western Kansas with his 17 year old son. While driving on interstate 70, he sees flashing lights in his rearview mirror and pulls to the side of the expressway. The state trooper asked for his license and proof of insurance. After giving his information, David asked why he was being pulled over and the state trooper told him it was for speeding. Then, the state trooper asked David and his son to step out of the car. In doing so, David remembers seeing the trooper having one hand on his gun and searching through his car. Without having a probable reason to search his car, David believes it was because he is Hispanic and he might've thought he would find drugs or weapons.