Shortly following the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the government labeled immigrants as the nation's number one enemy. Throughout my research, I found that many residents who migrated to the United States in hopes of achieving the American dream found themselves under harsh interrogation and blatant discrimination.
One woman, Erlinda Valencia, an immigrant from the Philippines, was accused of allowing terrorists on board the airplanes to New York and Boston during her work hours as an airport security baggage screener.
This is one of countless instances where innocent people trying to live honest livings are being targeted as the primary suspect. One group of people especially subject to racism and injustice are Indian men. Since they are of similar ethnicity to those involved in the attack, all Muslims, Arabs, Islams, etc. have been key victims of discrimination and racism solely because of they way they look.
Overall, it can be assumed that all immigrants, or more specifically, people of color, can easily be seen as the enemy. In her journal entry in Cultural Studies, Barbara Ehrenreich pokes fun at "her white privileges" to emphasize how Caucasians are never seen as the enemy.
To see a few statistics on the affect 9/11 has had on immigration, click: Statistics
