A Dream in Doubt

          I really enjoyed the movie that we watched the other day in class called A Dream in Doubt. I guess I always knew that people who looked similar to middle eastern men were persecuted and harassed more after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 but I had never really thought about it until I watched the film. I found it unnerving that people could be so cruel to people they do not even know simply because of their appearance and then try to justify their actions by calling themselves "Americans". They somehow felt as though they were getting revenge for the terrorist attacks by, in turn, killing innocent people who, in actuality, had absolutely nothing to do with the attacks. In fact, as was presented in the movie, the targets of much of the hate crimes were Sikhs, who teach acceptance of all religions and ethnicities. They are typically very peaceful and willing to accept people based on their character instead of pre-conceived notions. However, despite their willingness to live peaceful lives in America, they were made the victims of hate and violence simply because they slightly resembled the terrorists.
          I also really liked how a lot of the movie was presented from the perspective of children. They provided a sense of innocence that really allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the atrocities committed by the so called "Americans". They represented the innocence of the people as a community, simply wanting to live their lives without the fear of persecution for their religion. Overall, this movie really opened my eyes to the treatment of immigrant people that is still occurring in this country today; racism is not a thing of the past after all.