Mehdi Bozorgmehr, Co-Director of the Middle East and Middle Eastern American Center (MEMEAC) at The Graduate Center, and Anny Baklian, Associate Director of MEMEAC, completed the data collection for an NSF-funded project that focuses on the backlash toward Middle Eastern and South Asian Americans that was triggered by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America. Immediately after the events, persons of Middle Eastern and South Asian origin or individuals suspected to be Arab and/or Muslim across the U.S. experienced hate crimes and bias incidents, including four confirmed murders. In its "War on Terrorism," the government passed the U.S.A. Patriot Act and a series of initiatives that resulted in the detention and deportation of several thousand mostly Arab and Muslim immigrant men. The post-9/11 climate in the country rattled the Middle Eastern and South Asian American communities and left many fearful or alienated. Community-based organizations (CBOs) responded to the overwhelming challenges by mobilizing their constituents. An important goal was to make their constituents politically savvy, educate them about their rights so they could exercise them. The CBOs also used every opportunity to educate the American public about their cultural/religious beliefs and practices. This study investigated the critical role these Middle Eastern and South Asian American CBOs played in mitigating the backlash. Bozorgmehr and Bakalian conducted 57 interviews with representatives of Middle Eastern and South Asian American organizations, and 15 interviews with executives from civil liberties groups and government agencies (total 72). They are currently analyzing their findings. Mehdi Bozorgmehr is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Liberal Studies at The Graduate Center and City College.
http://web.gc.cuny.edu/memeac