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In Iraq, a Jackie Chan Worldview

By Gina Chon

Today, an Iraqi friend asked me if Americans hated Muslims and Arabs because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He told me he would like to live in the U.S. one day, a dream of many Iraqis, but worried about how he would be treated. He also told me that he had watched a television program about Americans who converted to Islam and faced a hard time because of their new religion.

Another friend asked me yesterday about who I thought was going to win the U.S. presidential elections. He told me he was rooting for Barack Obama, but he thought Americans would never elect a black president. I’ve heard a few other Iraqis say the same thing.

I tried to explain race relations in America to my Iraqi friends. I told them there is racism and people who have prejudices. But I also told them about the concept of the American melting pot and there are many areas where people of various skin colors and religions live in harmony.

But Iraqis find it hard to imagine a society in which people of all different races live in the same country and are all Americans. They are used to their neighbors looking like them.

That’s why when people here ask me where I’m from and I say America, they never accept it. They always ask me, “Where are you really from?” When I tell them Korea, they ask me, “North or South?”

I’ve also been asked by Iraqis if I’m Jackie Chan’s sister or if I know him. And these questions are serious. Many Iraqis also assume Jackie Chan is Japanese because they say Japan builds quality electronic products. When I tell them he is actually Chinese, they don’t believe me because they say China makes cheap products and Jackie Chan is a quality actor.

So on days when I don’t feel like explaining myself, I tell people that yes, I am Jackie Chan’s sister and yes, he is Japanese.

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    • That’s a funny and cute story, Gina.

      My daugther goes to school with several Arabs that dress much differently than the other children. My daugther said that she likes the more colorful “hats” the girls wear, but she never thinks twice about the way they dress differently than she does. The Muslims and Arabs are very accepted in this area, and say they do not have any problems (most of the time).

      There will always be some people that say mean things, or make assumpations, but I don’t know of anyone that has been physically hurt, or attack for being Islamic. Some of my friends are from Iran, and people often think they are Mexican.

      On the whole, I think the people that move here are happy with the way they are treated. The majority feel safe, at the very least.

    • Wake up Veitnam, and smell the dead US soldiers that are gone forever. The only journey now is to follow their leader!
      Yea, and the General in charge of the war in Iraq quit today because of US internal distrust of the war in the USA. What does that message send you? 2.5 T in debt and counting.