I worry you? (thoughts on looking like a terrorist)

[Modem Butterfly]

I watch you watching me. I watch your eyes check out my black hair, my brown eyes, my dark skin, silently sizing me up. Sometimes you ask outright, the way the TSA agents do at Hartsfield. "Are you Middle Eastern? Are you Muslim? Why are you wearing that scarf over your hair? And what's in that bag?" Other times, you just keep your eyes locked on me the entire time I'm on the train, or else, you try to be casual, and stare in my direction suddenly with each movement I make.

I know this look. It's the same look I sometimes get in retail stores, followed too closely, watching for me to steal something, wondering if I've already stolen something, wondering if I'll go quietly if you call security. "Can I help you? Do you need help? What can I do for you?" Five questions in three minutes in a store the size of my living room. You suspect me.

Who looks like a terrorist? I resemble those guys in London. I look like those guys on 9/11. I look like those people in Iraq, the ones that are always blowing things up. But you know what? You look like a terrorist, too. You look like Timothy McVeigh. You look like Eric Rudolph. You look like that woman who helped James Kopp evade capture. You look like one of the hundreds of white people who've terrorized America for 200 years.

Does anyone ever suspect you?

[lvx35]

1. No, they just look at me and seeth.

Last time I was in Muslim countries in the Middle East, anyway. They stare at my blond hair, my blue eyes, and they do not like me. Many, the majority are still wonderful too me, but prejudice is a two way street, it negativly effects everybody.

[ElectroPrincess]

13. Yes, but look at the pros of Scandinavian features you're blessed with ...

If you are as pretty as Natalie Holloway, *the world* of USA media whores would never stop looking for you if you went missing. :P

My hubby too has that pretty blond hair and light blue eyes. He used to like to tease me by saying "should I turn you over?" when we'd pass through immigration checkpoints in southern California. Not because I'm Hispanic, only because I'm blessed with dark olive skin tones of my French and So. German Ancestors.

Nope you natural light skinned blonds are rare, making you seem prettier in SOME circles - but hell - IMO you're made of no better stuff than us darker skinned humans.

The vast majority of time, light skinned peoples have little to nothing to complain about. Therefore, IMO humbleness is the best option. :-)

<tongue in cheek: don't weird out on me please = I'm teasing>

[Maraya1969]

19. Well that is SO insulting to those of us who color our hair!

:hug:

[ElectroPrincess]

28. Yeah, I know

When I was living in Panama during the 90s, I even dyed my light brown hair BLACK so as to "fit in." Also, I would put in brown colored contacts over my light blue eyes when I would shop in the city of Colon. Why? 75% unemployment and vast poverty makes for a very dangerous situation for people who can't meld into the culture.

My Panamanian co-worker would laugh at me when my roots would grow out a little to show a lighter color. However, he warned me, despite being somewhat proficient in Spanish (for an american), to NOT speak if I were caught up in a riot. Guess the University of Nebraska did not instill in me a genuine - believable accent. LOL

I only wish humans were not so petty as to judge others by hair color or skin tone. But many of us do in a reflexive way - especially in this damn fantasy-land of FEAR mongering ushered in by Bush-Co declaring "war on terror." :puke:

[lvx35]

30. No I agree!

"Nope you natural light skinned blonds are rare, making you seem prettier in SOME circles - but hell - IMO you're made of no better stuff than us darker skinned humans."

I for one find darker women VERY attractive, I tend to choose them over blondes, but that's just a matter of personal taste. For each his/her own!

"The vast majority of time, light skinned peoples have little to nothing to complain about. Therefore, IMO humbleness is the best option. :-)"

In America, I agree. But there are places I've been I've wished very much I was darker!!! :)

[ulysses]

2. spot. on.

:applause:

[LynzM]

3. Awesome post.

If you could find a way to make that about two sentences long and say it to all those people.... :yourock:

[Walt Starr]

4. The early part of the twentieth century will be remembered much like

The latter part of the 1910's or the early part of the 1940's.

From the entry into the Great War until after its conclusion, German Americans suffered a great deal of discrimination and suspicion. Many Germans changed their last names to avoid such suspcicion and discrimination.

Same happened again when World War II broke out, except in World War II, one group could not hide by changing their names, and thus racism came into play because the group was easily identifiable due to appearance.

Same thing is happening now, except Indians, Sri Lankans, and a host of other ethnic groups are being lumped into the whole.

It's sad, and will be pointed to in disgust during better times which will inevitably come.

[Modem Butterfly]

10. I believe you're right.

[bvar22]

12. Also, in the future, people will look back and say,

"How could the American People go along with that?
Why didn't they rise up and stop the insanity before it got so bad?
Couldn't they see what was going on?
What was the matter with them? "


Same questions that people ask about the Germans of the 1930s.

[canadianbeaver]

5. Any solutions......really?

this and post #1 just makes me cry.......WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY?....

WE ARE HUMANS...PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All cry
All bleed
All feel


on edit: Post #1

[Modem Butterfly]

6. We could start...

...by not assuming people are threats because of whom they resemble.

I don't assume all white men are potential bombers, for instance.

[canadianbeaver]

9. this is not a start....it may be for you but what about all the others....

where does it end? Its the cycle of life - NO?

I feel there is no end to this.....people are/won't change...Look at the KKK...its still here! HATE HURTS EVERYONE!!!!!

I want a solution!!....I feel I won't live to see the day...Although I always HOPE for that day!!!

[Cleita]

7. There are some people who need a scapegoat.

They need someone to hate and blame for their problems. Those people will jump on the enemy du jour. I don't know how you change this unless children are taught in school why this attitude is wrong. Yet, who is going to teach them, when often the teachers are bigoted?

[skids]

8. Not of being a terrorist...

...but I'm pretty unkempt most of the time and a longhair. Whenever I go to an environment where Martha Stewart fashion is the norm, I DEFINITELY feel the disdain of all the 2d cardboard cutouts we accept as excuses for people these days. They don't like me sullying their perfect little reality of aftershave and perfume induced social coma with my more gritty, down-to-earth look.

[mtnester]

11. Since I tan dark and easily, and keep darker skin clear into and through

the winter, my hair is dark, my eyes are dark.

I see them looking too...have been profiled at the airport...correction...am ALWAYS profiled at the airport for "the wand".

Suckers, would it surprise you to find out I am mostly Scots with a great grandmother who was Native American (all 6'4' of iron Iroquois) Would it freak you out to learn my maiden name is easily identifiable as a Scot's surname? Would you just SHIT if you knew one of my great grandfathers with the same surname was a captain in the Revolutionary War, had Andrew Jackson over for dinner many times, received a huge land grant in the NW territory, that I am related to Ben Franklin? Would you reconsider if you knew parts of my family immigrated here in the early 1600's, and the other part were here THOUSANDS of years before your ancestors?

And could I PLEASE shop in peace dang it!

[Karenina]

15. Sorry, NO.

And if some ill-trained white cop decides you look like a "Muslim" you, too, may find a Glock clip emptied into your head.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Probably

Olive complexion; darkens quickly in the summer; dark, almost black hair; heavy beard that shows a shadow by early afternoon; a dark thick black mustache.

There are probably those who think i'm one of "them".
The Professor

[methinks2]

16. Sad but true

The darker skinned in this country are singled-out, remember Driving while black/brown. I actually had a police officer look at my first name (a finnish name), despite my pale skin and red hair, and say "what kind of name is that, pakistani or something?" People are so freaked out they can't think straight. Maybe we should start a national free prozac campaign. Temporary of course. Just until people can take a big breath and look around.

[Karenina]

41. A question I posed to a British poster...

If you would be so kind to indulge my concerns and perspective, I should be very much indebted to you.

I grew up black in "White Amerika," having integrated the school I attended at 7. Please understand that ALL any white-skinned kid had to do was point at me and pronounce me GUILTY. It was up to me, my parents or my supportive peers who knew the truth to PROVE my innocence. I have been found guilty of DWB through Beverly Hills; stopped for having a registration which was "about to expire."

This "incident" has me absolutely beside myself. Should I dare travel to London, a hop, skip and jump from my adopted home, and a trip I've been eagerly planning, I feel at risk that anyone could ID me as a "violent extremist" from wherever- without proper "intelligence" or noting my body language, speech pattern, dress, OR EVEN WITH proper intelligence that shows CLEARLY I should be excluded from any "suspect list." The POLICY says I can be shot in the head with impunity. When it is discovered later that I am a BIG FAN of the King Singers, LEGALLY in country to attend a concert, NOT from a "suspect" country, the response morphs to "innocents may be executed, can't be helped."

Please, dear one, help me with this.

[Maraya1969]

17. A interesting story

Excellent post BTW! Years ago my mother worked in a travel agency so she traveled quite as did her co-workers. One of them was blond, blue eyed and very light skinned. That woman traveled to some African country where the people are very black. Anyway, she went to this village and was walking down the street and a little girl with her mother looked at her and let out one large blood curdling scream! She must have looked like a monster to this little girl who had probably never seen a white person in her life!

A good reminder that prejudice is an outward manifestation of fear.

[mixedview]

18. Human nature - unfortunately

As I posted on the other thread, my life has completely changed since 9-11. Because I have brown skin, dark hair, dark eyes etc. It's worse for me since I am a male and in my upper 20s. And males are far more subject to violence and intimidation by other males.

Amazing - I go through the same things every other American goes through in being fearful of terrorism - AND sometimes I'm on the receiving end of this same suspicion/fear.

This situation is difficult for all of us. I applaud that poster for being honest - honesty is the best policy - we need to have open communication instead of pretending the fears/predjudices are not there.

I go out of my way to look Western. It's unfair to me. And maybe I'm giving in to the bigots. But first and foremost I understand human nature, and it's limits, and I know these feelings aren't going to change anytime soon. And I need to think about my own survival - like I said, males face loads of violence/intimidation from other males throughout their lives - and it's far worse now for any male who may have brown skin.

[YOY]

20. Try speaking a foreign language in a public place

I was having a conversation (quiet, but not hushed) in public with my wife in Bulgarian. We got (and get) some strange stares.

Amazing that most Americans couldn't tell Chinese from Arabic.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. No. What is amazing is that some Americans in Miami

can't tell Spanish from Arabic. :eyes: Wish I were kidding.

[YOY]

27. I don't doubt it in the least

[Bluebear]

29. DON'T carry an almanac!!!

If you remember that ridiculous homeland "warning".

I speak a few languages too, I would have fun with it and freak people out but being that I have dark Romanian features, nowadays I would probably be shot by some "patriot".

[YOY]

35. Naturally being Romania's Southern Neighbor

Bulgarians are pretty swarthy too...

Definitely the nasty look factor is there.
:hide:

[malmapus]

21. A freakin TSA went for his weapon on my fiancee and 2 year old

The other night, I went to pick her up at Ontario Airport here in So. Cal. She was coming home from visiting my folks in GA for a week (I couldn't get out of work to go with =/).

But yeah when she gets down, she's all in tears and shooken up pretty good. I was trying to comfort her and my daughter who kinda was keen on something being wrong.

Anyway she was heading out of the terminal to take the elevator down where the baggage claim is.

The elevator had a "out of order" sign on it or something to that effect. She couldn't take the escalators since she had a stroller, a car seat, and couple carry on bags and my daughter.

So she turned around and walked back to try and find another elevator.

This TSA screams at her to stop and turn around.

She turns and asks whats wrong, he shouted at her that she's in a secure area. She walks toward him pushing a stroller asking where she can take an elevator since the one is out of order.

She told me it was then he went for his firearm.

((I SWEAR, I was about to storm up those escalators and find this guard who felt that my fiancee and child were so much of a threat that he had to go for his firearm!! I wanted to yell at him, I was in Special Forces, I'm a real threat to you..go for it now!!))

And apparently he continued to shout at her about being in a secure area instead of helping her find a way to get down, while his hand is hovering to draw his firearm.

I wanted her to report him that instant, since she wouldn't let me make a scene sure to get me on a no-fly list. But she was soo distraught that she wanted to just go home.

We're now trying to find out who this quick to draw TSA is and make sure he knows he f'd with the wrong people.

[tjdee]

22. Black people have had to deal with that for years.

I know where you're coming from.

When I found out that some white people *want* retail employees to ask them if they're looking for something/if they can be helped, I was shocked LOL!


The old....crossing the street when they see you coming, the looks if you don't look like you "belong" there.... ahhhhh yes.

In fact, a number of African American men are being mistaken for "Muslims" or "Arabs" because hey, all those scary terrorists aren't white, right? My dad has been harassed a bit since 9/11 because of where he lives and what he looks like.

[malletgirl02]

34. what you said about your dad makes me concern

I'm also black, but I never thought despite the fact I'm light that I could be mistaken Arab. However, there are a lot of stupid people who can't tell the difference between different "others" in society. Sometimes I think about wearing my hair in braids all the time so there won't be any confusion. I'm really worried about my brother because I think he could be mistaken for Arab more easily than I would.

[dogday]

24. My dad has a old buddy from his Air Force days

They get together and go to Las Vegas every year and his buddy who worked at the same place he did in the AF is on some list at the airport. Why they don't know. But every time they go, they have to wait for his buddy to go through alot of stuff before they let him board....

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. Rich people suspect me of being beneath them.. but that's it

[Pacifist Patriot]

26. I have a serious question.

When I see anyone who "looks Middle Eastern," wears a scarf, speaks with an accent, etc. and seems uncomfortable or withdrawn I deliberately give them the warmest smile to hopefully convey that I appreciate their presence. 9 times out of 10 I am greeted with a return smile, sometimes wan and timid, sometimes just as broad and warm.

I am genuine and sincere but I have wondered if my smile, nod, or murmured greeting is welcome or viewed as condescending.

[Modem Butterfly]

36. Well, everybody's different...

...but genuine friendliness is always welcome, IMHO!

[central scrutinizer]

31. we are a much poorer nation due to hysteria

I work at a major university and love the mix of cultures and languages that I would encounter every day walking across campus. I used to work with many students from Iran, Iraq, other middle East countries - they have mostly disappeared. Other than international students form Japan, diversity has largely disappeared and campus is poorer and more sterile as a result. On a related note, just after 9/11, many women in my church (Unitarian Universalist) starting wearing head scarfs and other middle eastern dress in solidarity with those who were persecuted as a result of racial profiling. I thought that was a beautiful gesture.

[Jackpine Radical]

32. Actually, I look a little bit like Carleton Armstrong,

one of the guys that blew up the Army Math Research Center in Madison in 1970. For years afterward, Madison cops were stopping me on the street because I looked vaguely suspicious to them. They thought they recognized me, but they couldn't quite remember why.

[burythehatchet]

33. If I wear a snappy suit I won't have much trouble

If I'm dressed casually I will be slightly provoked into doing something stupid.

If I'm dressed casually and I haven't shaven, there's a 40% chance I won't make my flight.

[seabeyond]

37. you know what my look is when i look at you

it is not, are you a terrorist. when you see me look at you, i am looking in your eyes thinking, do you feel people are looking at you, wondering if you are a terrorist. because my look is to say, i do NOT see you as a terrorist. do you see that look in my eyes. i know you feel that "look" often as you wander thru your day, and i feel bad you get that "look". i want to give you a look to say, not all of us "look" at you in htat way

do you see it

cause i want to walk up to you just to say, hi. just so that you know

i dont want to step into your space unwelcomed, so a smile will have to do. remember some looks are just to say, i am sorry you have to endure that "look"

[Lisa]

38. an English friend of mine married a Persian man ...

Regarding what lvx35 said earlier -- my friend was always the object of anxious discussion in her extended family, and even their neighbourhood outside of Tehran.

The mother-in-law was always fretting about how "pale and anemic" her new daughter-in-law looked. "She looks so washed-out, even her eyes and hair!" Not until she gave birth to two healthy kids did this finally end.

My friend was always careful to speak as little as possible while outside of her household, because her English accent would attract a great deal of attention, even more so than her appearance. The British were hated overlords back then -- the Americans actually had a good reputation in Iran and were admired. This was the case for decades after WWII -- even after the CIA were involved in a coup that brought the Shah to power.

[jmm]

39. I often lie about my background

I've always been a fan of confrontation even when some may not think it's a smart thing to do. So when only two days after 9/11 some guys started to harass me in a store because he thought I was "one of those Arabs" I played along. The day when I worked in a toy store and a customer assumed I had children because I was Hispanic and it was part of my culture I did not let on that my dad is black, my mom is white and both sides of my family have been in this country for many generation. I could go on with examples but the point I'm trying to get at is I don't want someone's approval due to a heritage I have no control over. I would hate to validate anybody's prejudices by trying to distance my self particular groups of people.

[alarcojon]

40. Some Latin Americans are easily mistaken for Middle Eastern

Including myself and Jean Charles de Menezes.

RIP Jean