It has been one year since we saw the terror in New York City. Now, more than ever, we must unite as a nation, without discrimination based on color, culture, or ethnicity. We must stand strong and band together.

It's been one year since the terror attacks on the World Trade Center. It's almost 61 years since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. A Japanese "midget" sub from WWII was recently found off the island of Oahu, proving the Japanese were planning the attack on Hawaii and also proving that America, in sinking the sub, shot the first bullets (bombs) to begin America's involvement into WWII. This nation has seen its share of heartache, anger, and pain, and we have endured. We have grown stronger in the face of it all. We are truly UNITED.

We must be careful, though. Although the attacks on our country have united us, they have also separated us. With each attack comes hatred for the country and the people attacking us . . . including hatred of American citizens of that country's descent. We cannot blame our own citizens for the actions of the countries from which they descend - countries which these American citizens may never have even seen.

America is a melting pot of people, ethnicity, nationalities, cultures. We have to respect each other and not turn our hatred toward them simply because they descend from the same peoples as those who have attacked America. In World War II, the Japanese Americans were persecuted simply because they were Japanese. It didn't matter that they fought on the side of America. It didn't matter that many Japanese Americans died trying to defend our nation. They were still discriminated against because of something they did not do.

Although I haven't heard much about discrimination since the September 11, 2001 attacks, I am sure that it is going on in some places.

Perhaps I feel so strongly about this because I live in Hawaii, a state where the white person is not the majority. In Hawaii, interracial dating and marrying is commonplace and almost expected. Overall, we accept each other as human beings - people with souls, values, beliefs. That is not to say Hawaii is immune to discrimination. We are not. I have been discriminated against. Most of my friends have been discriminated against (all within our home state). But, I strongly feel that people who have lived in Hawaii are more accepting of people from different cultures and people with various skin colors.

This acceptance needs to be widespread. Everyone needs to do his or her part. We are the United States of America. We must stand as one. One nation. United.

~~~~~

Jenn grew up on the island of Maui in Hawaii, but currently lives on the island of Oahu. She is an English major at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is currently studying to become an American Sign Language interpreter at Kapiolani Community College's (KCC) Interpreter Education Program. Jenn has had a tongue-in-cheek advice column online and on a BBS (bulletin board system) and has been published in Ka Nani (a journal based at KCC). She currently works at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene doing student services. Jenn's Homepage .

Volume B Issue 9 September 2002 Copyright 2002 Gx Webzine All Rights Rsvd.

Volume B Issue 9 September 2002
Copyright 2002 Gx Webzine All Rights Rsvd.