As a minority in America, there is a moment where we realize our difference from the majority. I was in the 7th grade and the story took place the day after Saddam Hussein was hung by rebel forces. I was asked by my classmate, a white girl, whether I was upset by the death of Saddam. Confused by her question, I replied no. She proceeded to ask, "Well isn't he, like, the king of your people?". Saddam Hussein was the Dictator of Iraq. I was born and raised in Bangladesh, a Muslim majority country that is nowhere near Iraq. I spent my middle school/high school years in north-west Florida. Life there was exactly what you'd expect out of living in the bible-belt. I've been called names and slurs which I've laughed off as much as possible. Jeff Dunham's "Achmed The Dead Terrorist" comedy routine caused many to try and imitate my accent because it was considered "funny." Worst of all, I was blamed for the events on September 11th, 2001. Through my years growing up in the bible belt, I was often reminded that I was not white and that I lacked certain privileges. Though I've experienced certain hardships, my experiences are nowhere near as bad as the experiences felt by black people in America.
For nearly 400 years, slaves were the largest property asset and helped push America to its first-world status. Though America has had a grim past, the recent protests give me hope for the future. The protests that we are witnessing are the culmination of America's sins not being reckoned with sooner. George Floyd's murder was the match used to light the fire of frustration felt over the course of 400 years. Yet what gives me hope is not only the sheer size of these protests but the demographics within them. In the past, protests related to police killings were mostly led by African Americans. These recent protests have been multi-generational and multi-cultural. Young Americans belonging to the millennial/gen-z generations care deeply about issues pertaining to racial injustice and that care translated to the streets.
It gives me hope that Mr. Floyd's murder grabbed the attention of the international media and sparked protests around the world and helped highlight racism within their own countries. Just as the death of Emmett Till was the catalyst for change during the civil rights era; I have hope that Mr. Floyd's death is the catalyst for change in our lifetime. I believe that we are the generation that will teach the next to judge someone not by the color of our skin but by the content of their character. I have hope that one day my children will be raised in an America where they are not mocked because of their accent or shamed because of their religion.
