America’s classic stripes and stars and symbols of red, white and blue have veiled the nation in the last month and a half, along with the slogans “God Bless America” and “Proud to be American,” displaying an apparent national unity.
And while this may be a sign of support for the country, some students and faculty members say abundant expressions of patriotism can seclude non-Caucasian Americans. And although there appears to be “one nation indivisible,” people are dividing.
Few cases of harassment have been reported on campus, but several students have experienced bias in Eugene. Many believe they must hide their “non-American” cultural and ethnic identities to prove their “loyalty” to the country and show they are on America’s side.
Henry, a student of color who preferred to remain anonymous, said he experiences tension daily in the community. For example, he said he and some friends have been asked to speak English in bars instead of their native tongue.
Although his nationality is not Middle Eastern, he said he still appears to pose a threat because he looks “non-American.”
“Before Sept. 11, I never had that kind of experience in Eugene,” he said.
Linda Liu, advising coordinator at the Office of Multicultural Affairs, agreed that it is not just Middle Easterners who feel uneasy in the community following the terrorist attacks.
“From personal experience, as a person of color, I do feel uncomfortable with all this patriotism and being surrounded by flags. I feel uncomfortable, but I can’t tell you why,” she said. “You get that feeling that people look at you and think ‘Well I don’t know if I should trust you, you don’t look American’ — that expression of, ‘Go back to your own country.’”
She added that people who already had biases may now lash out at people of color under the guise of patriotism.
“Something like this opens the door for people to express their biases and say this is patriotic and American,” she said. “They can use this as an excuse to say, ‘You’re only American if you’re white.’”
Jacob, another anonymous student of color, said a grocery store clerk recently asked him where he was from. When he told her his international origin, she asked “So, do you like America?”
“People never asked me these kinds of questions before,” he said.
Students like Henry and Jacob immigrated to America — or their parents did — and they probably always felt like a part of the country until now, ASUO Vice President Joy Nair said.
“I don’t want to generalize for all students of color, but some students are now feeling that the American flag is not theirs,” she said. “Some feel secluded from the acts of patriotism around them — the feeling that some citizens aren’t accepted in that unity.”
Assistant Dean of Diversity Programs Mark Tracy said the University’s Bias Response Team has received some bias reports after Sept. 11, but such incidents are generally “underreported on campus.” He mentioned other campus resources students should take advantage of, such as the University Counseling Center, Office of Student Life and OMA.
Some student groups have also been working with University and community offices to show support for students of color, International Student Association co-director Shruti Shah said. She added that in a meeting with students a few weeks ago, Sen. Ron Wyden encouraged students to report both subtle and blatant incidents of bias.
“I think some people are scared to say anything in fear of more of the same thing coming because of it,” Shah said. “Or they think it’s not very important because it’s happening to everyone or it’s a non-verbal form of harassment. But harassment is harassment and should be taken seriously.”
Islamic Cultural Center director Tammam Adi said he has also spoken with many people of color who speak only English and dress “American” in public for safety reasons.
To help stop the apparent racial and ethnic divisions, Adi said more people need to discuss the aftermath of Sept. 11 and try to understand each other’s perspectives. He added that 500 Muslims in the World Trade Center alone, along with many people of color, were also victims of the attacks.
“There is certainly the need for some dialogue and an airing of the feelings of both sides,” Adi said. “I think there is a wrong assumption that people of color, especially foreigners, are not patriotic or are against America. People should realize that Muslims and students of color are not the enemy.
“This is not about religion, color or race, and it is the wrong time to be divided.”