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Orientalism: The Dehumanization Of Arab-Americans Through 9/11

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Before September 11, 2001, the stereotypes heaped upon the average Arab-American were evidence of Hollywood’s, and to a greater extent society’s, casual racism. According to the documentary “Reel Bad Arabs,” based on the book by Jack Shaheen, the United States’ idea of Arabs and their culture was borrowed from the Europeans. Orientalism had pervaded the dominant discourse surrounding Arabs in that continent, and the United States adopted it. Arabs were quickly scorned and mocked in media. Shaheen explained, “nearly 25% of all Hollywood movies that demeaned Arabs contain gratuitous slurs or portray Arabs as the butt of a cheap joke.” Arabs were portrayed as stupid, not knowing what exactly they should do with the massive amount of wealth that they have, and all too eager to have the attention of the blond …show more content…

Arabs were the ‘Oriental Other.’ A defining pillar in maintaining white supremacy, Orientalism works to dehumanize Arab-Americans while propping up white Americans and to a lesser extent non-Arab people of color. Arabs were used for little more than comic relief in order to make Americans appear smarter and more resourceful. According to Andrea Smith in her essay, “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy,” the logic of Orientalism is that certain nations and their people are inferior as well as a threat to the well being of an empire” (68). The empire in this case would be the United States. The purpose of Orientalism is to provide this hierarchy that places the West above the East. Orientalism, Smith explains, “serves as an anchor for war, because it allows the United States to justify being in a constant state of war to protect itself from its enemies.” (69) The United States thrives off war and in order to have people to go to war against, it requires a group of people to vilify; this was done masterfully following the events of September 11,

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