Photo Source: Community Oriented Policing Services Following the tragic events of Sept. 11, Arab and Muslim-Americans across the country have faced political, legislative, and social repercussions that have led to the alienation, stigmatization--and in some cases, violence--against Muslim community members. Among rising hate crimes and anti-Muslim rhetoric, law enforcement agencies have experienced pressure to incorporate tactics such as immigration enforcement, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and racial profiling in "counter-terrorism" training intended to thwart future terrorist attacks.
racial profiling
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Communities have been screening Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness across the country, but a legal nonprofit brought the film close to home. LatinoJustice PRLDEF first screened the film at their Manhattan offices on Sept. 20 and at the Touro Law Center on Long Island on Oct. 3.
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The following is part of an essay by Not In Our Town activist Hugh Vasquez of Walnut Creek, CA, addressing the human impact of Arizona's controversial new legislation aimed at undocumented immigrants. Vasquez, a partner with the Center for Diversity Leadership and a Senior Associate at the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools, writes that his concern is not with the intentions of those who wrote the law, but its impact on the state's Latino residents and the inevitable racial profiling that will result.
Have you, or anyone you know, been the victim of racial or ethnic profiling? Do you agree with Vasquez that this is one of the dangers inherent in Arizona's new legislation? Please consider his words, and add your comments below.
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This week in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, we are highlighting three stories of youth standing up to intolerance and violence.
Spread the Peace (Mother Caroline Academy)
Ariana's brother was killed in a drive-by shooting. Most of her classmates at Mother Caroline Academy in Dorchester, Massachusetts have been affected by violence. After watching "Not In Our Town" in a Facing History class, Ariana and her peers launch their own neighborhood “Spread the Peace” campaign to help stop the violence. (11 min 13 sec)
Students Teach Students to Stand Up to Bullying
At Shaw High School in East Cleveland, OH, students in Lori Urogody-Eiler's Facing History and Ourselves class mentor younger students in how to be an upstander, not a bystander, when faced with bullying and intolerant acts. (5 min 47 sec)
The recent arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates outside his Cambridge, MA home has sparked a national debate about racial profiling.
Yesterday, we took our cameras right outside our office door to Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza, to find out what local residents think about the issues raised by the Gates arrest.
Does racial profiling persist in the United States? What was your response to Gates’ arrest? We want to hear your perspective! Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.