In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, hate crimes against South Asian and Arab Americans made headline news. Innocent people were murdered and harassed due to racist efforts at revenge because of how they looked and dressed. President George W. Bush was forced to denounce the trend even while he was managing America’s response and reacting to the terrorist attacks. South Asians and Arabs were fearful — and for good reason.
Today, resentment towards South Asian Americans has reached levels on par with 25 years ago. Even more worrisome, the anger toward them runs deeper than fears of a physical attack.
