This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever. For Paola Salas Paredes, who was living in Washington, D.C. at the time, the attacks marked a turning point in her life. She had just started a doctorate program in August 2001 and was eager to make a new life for herself in the United States. But as she navigated her new surroundings, she began to realize that she didn't quite fit in.
As she reflected on her experiences, Paredes recalled a conversation she had with her classmates soon after the attacks. They were discussing the American response to the tragedy, and Paredes' views were deemed too moderate by her peers. 'My response was clearly not bellicose enough,' she said. 'My classmates thought we should immediately obliterate the entire Middle East.'
But it was what happened next that really shocked Paredes. Her classmates told her that if she didn't support the American response, she should 'love it or leave it.' Paredes asked them where she should go, and they suggested she return to her parents' country of origin. 'I asked them if I should go back to New York (where my parents were from),' she said. 'They said no, where my “people” are from.'
For Paredes, this was a wake-up call. She had grown up experiencing anti-Semitism, but never anything like this. She didn't realize at the time that this was just the beginning, and that the 'with us or against us' mentality would metastasize into what we are seeing today.
Paola Salas Paredes' story is just one of many shared by readers who have experienced xenophobia in the United States. In fact, over 16,000 people shared their stories, highlighting the pervasive nature of this issue.
One of the most disturbing experiences shared by readers was that of Kenneth Hung, who was egged and had his house vandalized as a child. 'Someone shouted from a distance, “Go back to China, chink!”' he recalled.
Hung's experience is not unique. Many readers shared stories of being told to 'go back' to their countries of origin, often with violent or threatening undertones. For example, one reader shared a story of being pelted with rocks by a group of white kids in a predominantly white neighborhood in Chicago. The kids yelled 'Go back home, you chinks!' as they threw the rocks.
These stories are a stark reminder of the xenophobia that exists in the United States. They highlight the need for greater understanding and empathy towards people from diverse backgrounds.
