Minorities are often considered different from the rest of the population in a certain area, with good reason. Many people have unusual practices that deviate from the norm of a particular society and these people strongly believe that their practices will lead to a more fulfilling life. But, what if you were ridiculed for something most likely overlooked such as your name or your physical appearance? How would it feel if certain aspects of your character beyond your control were the basis of others’ perceptions of you?
Recently, my older brother was walking down the street back to his apartment in Philadelphia. A police car pulled over and stopped my brother to question him. There was a recent looting of three convenience stores by a gang of Asian descent. Thinking that he got his man, the police officer interrogated him in such a way that he was given no chance to plead his innocence. The police officer finally took him into the station and put him in a jail cell facing the officer’s desk. He overheard them making fun of his middle name, Sam-Fong, an Americanized version of his Chinese name. They were also debasing Asians, as if the gang was a full representation of the race. My brother did not feel like a medical school student; he felt like garbage. It was not until seven hours later that the police officers realized that they had the wrong guy. He was released at 4:30 in the morning. He had a class at 9 am that day as well. This despicable experience will certainly brand him for the rest of his life.
It is disgusting how minorities can be treated, even by our so-called “defenders of society.” Segregation obviously did not end after the Civil War. In fact, it probably has gotten worse, yet we just have not recognized it. For example, the September 11 disaster exacerbated this with Arabs. People are now acting unusually cautious around those that wear the head scarves that people commonly associate with Arabs. Without a doubt, Arabs are probably questioned more often in airports than other people.
Sadly, cases like this throughout American history are not uncommon. Law enforcers have mistaken identities due to the narrow notion that “all people in a certain minority look the same.” They also have an endless amount of stereotypes programmed into their heads. We need to be more aware of the stereotypes that are deep within us and erase them. We all have some form of them one way or another. If we do not silence them, we will continue to mask good people with a bad name that they do not deserve.
