The Middle Eastern question lies at the heart of the most pressing issues of our time: the war in Iraq and on terrorism; the growing tension between preservation of our national security and protection of our civil rights; and the debate over immigration; assimilation; and our national identity. Yet paradoxically; little attention is focused on our domestic Middle Eastern population and its place in American society. Unlike many other racial minorities in our country; Middle Eastern Americans have faced rising; rather than diminishing; degrees of discrimination over time; a fact highlighted by recent targeted immigration policies; racial profiling; a war on terrorism with a decided racialist bent; and growing rates of job discrimination and hate crime. Oddly enough; however; Middle Eastern Americans are not even considered a minority in official government data. Instead; they are deemed white by law.In Whitewashed; John Tehranian combines his own personal experiences as an Iranian American with an expert’s analysis of current events; legal trends; and critical theory to analyze this bizarre Catch-22 of Middle Eastern racial classification. He explains how American constructions of Middle Eastern racial identity have changed over the last two centuries; paying particular attention to the shift in perceptions of the Middle Easterner from friendly foreigner to enemy alien; a trend accelerated by the tragic events of 9/11. Focusing on the contemporary immigration debate; the war on terrorism; media portrayals of Middle Easterners; and the processes of creating racial stereotypes; Tehranian argues that; despite its many successes; the modern civil rights movement has not done enough to protect the liberties of Middle Eastern Americans.By following how concepts of whiteness have transformed over time; Whitewashed forces readers to rethink and question some of their most deeply held assumptions about race in American society.
#838708 in Books NYU Press 2007-03-01 2007-03-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .87 x 6.00l; 1.05 #File Name: 0814736890341 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Slavery was deep and pernicious.By Gerald M. SutliffI've often thought that I was reasonably knowledgeable about history of slavery in North America. This book; The Deepest South by Gerald Horne; further continues to erode my self satisfied; opinion. The main shocker; for me; was the depth of slavery into South America; especially in Brazil and finally that political ballast it gave to North American history and its interplay. I was surprised at the number of Southerners who "escaped' to Brazil after the Civil War. Recommended highly.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. The Deepest South by Gerald HorneBy Clifton L PeayExcellent scholarship shows the global reach of the slave empire of the Western Hemisphere in great detailShould be required reading in every high school and college history class.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Aina Nokomis Osunsuperb
