I believe there is a big glaring comparison between the experience of German-Americans in World War I to Japanese-Americans in World War II, as it relates to the experience of Muslim-Americans after September 11th. Americans felt the need to feel secure after these altering events in history. German-Americans faced hardships in World War I, which resulted in mass stereotypes against the same German-Americans that had no involvement in the harmful activities that Germans did.

The same goes for Japanese-Americans during World War II because they felt the heat after Pearl Harbor, which was not their fault but the bombing was known now to be a misunderstanding by both the American side and the Japanese side. Several things could have gone differently or smoothly if not for a simple mix-up. Muslim-Americans faced very hard judgement during and after September 11th, which in my opinion still gives Americans mixed emotions or feelings when Muslim-Americans aboard airplanes. It should not matter about the other passengers and as an American, everyone should feel safe and secure on an airplane. I do think the stereotype or stigma still carries around today about Muslim-Americans when they are on any flight. Even when Americans see Muslim-Americans in an airport, I believe the natural feeling is to be cautious or on the lookout, which is very sad for many Americans. This is unfortunately the era Americans live in and I believe will never go away.

Racism, prejudice, and hatred will never go away but I believe there are ways to go about things that brings Americans together for a unified purpose. Many Americans, if not all, want to live a great life. One that they can be proud of and share those proud memories and moments with the people they love. Having loved ones around you is important in any topic of discussion but necessary in order to not judge people according to society’s blueprint. Judging a book by its cover or judging people based on their race or origin is not an appropriate assessment to diagnose for people. Instead, learning about the individual person rather than the race that is associate with, it brings out the best in people and provides the source for Americans to lay the foundation of hard-work. It is not easy to dig deep and think about what that person has gone through or what that person is dealing with on that particular day. It is much easier to just sit back and quickly judge someone because of their race and agree in a fast manner that they are not on the same level as us or not worthy to be in the same presence as the appropriate race.

Japanese-Americans, German-Americans, and Muslim-Americans were mostly separated from their families. Sometimes there would be rare occasions where siblings would be paired together in order to save time and money, but then would eventually later be separated. Sometimes, German-Americans would have to change their names just to hide from mainstream America to not get harassed or messed with. Feeling oppressed and not being able to be accepted among the peers of society can really be challenging or even devastating towards the wrong citizens. Most Americans struggle to see from all point of view and they really tend to take their side or their opinion is always right. Trying to assure people that you are right all the time is no recipe for success, in fact, it is quite the opposite.

Facing hardships in America is something that all races experience. America is a melting pot of races. There is a healthy mix of all types of races, religions, sexual preferences, and political views. It does not matter what you believe in, what you want to accomplish, or who you want to marry, but it does matter on the type of person you are and how you share your gifts with the rest of America. Everybody brings something to the table, and it just depends on you to figure out what that certain special thing is. All Americans experience life lessons and tribulations, but I believe certain mixed American races have experienced far worse than other Americans and we can all learn a great deal from them.