Blog 36

Personal Anecdote:

One day my friend, who is Indian, and I were walking through the oval at Ohio State University on our way from a class.  A preacher that was there speaking while students were walking past suddenly called out to my friend.  He said things to him such as: “You! Indian! You hate America! Go back to where you came from!”  He continued to call my friend a terrorist and tell him he was going to hell.  You may think I am exaggerating or making this story up but it truly did happen.  We were completely outraged.  My friend has lived in America his entire life and doesn’t know how to speak his native language at all.  The only tie he has to India is that his parents were born there but moved to the United States shortly after they were born too. 

            The whole situation was outrageous.  People we didn’t even know instantly came to my friend’s aid as did I.  Many people began yelling at the preacher asking him how he could say such things when he doesn’t even know this person.  The preacher especially seemed surprised when my friend replied to him in perfect English, English that was much more grammatically correct than anything the preacher had to say.  This story just makes me wonder how truly ignorant people can be and how prejudice and discriminatory the world can truly be sometimes. 

Hypothetical Scenario:

            What if you had lived in a foreign country your entire life, well it wouldn’t be foreign to you exactly.  One day you were walking through a crowded area and people started yelling things at you and calling you out on the most ridiculous charges.  You couldn’t understand why these people would say these things and the only reason could possibly be because you are different.  The people clearly know nothing about you.  You have never even met them in your entire life.  How would you react?  Would you keep walking or would you stop to defend yourself?  It would bring up a very interesting thought.  The majority of us never really stop to realize what it is like to be a foreign person living in a new country.  Imagine how difficult it must be for them to start a new life.  They would have to be very courageous.  Maybe people should think of that before they start to make unfounded accusations or heckle people that are different than themselves.