The July 4 weekend gave Indian Americans pause for thought about how life in the United States has panned out. Despite it being nearly two years since the tragic events of 9/11, its repercussions continue to be felt by the American public --- from fundamental issues of freedom of expression and movement to a continuing and often-times not-so-subliminal anti-Muslim/Middle-Eastern mood that has swept South Asians within its ambit. All this juxtaposed against the security needs of a nation fearful of terrorism. Indian Americans have much to mull over. They are also increasingly realizing they cannot sit on the fence and are not “new” immigrants in any sense of the term. Torn by the seemingly contradictory desire to appear more patriotic than most while suffering a grave sense of umbrage about being subjected to hate crimes because of their racial appearance, Indian Americans, justly proud of their contributions, feel they cannot sit on their laurels and that many challenges confront them in the new America. Three Indian Americans who have played leadership roles in various spheres of life in the U.S. assess their gains and losses, their disappointments along with their hopes and aspirations, for themselves, their families and their community in the light of both domestic and international developments in the post-9/11 era.

Kaleem Kawaja, a scientist and member of the Indian Muslim Council in America

Q: What are the issues that most concern you about you and your family/community’s life in the post-9/11 U.S.?
KALEEM KAWAJA: In the last 25 years that I have lived in U.S., what I have liked most about U.S. is that this country has offered much freedom to minorities, freedom from bias and prejudice based on one’s religious or ethnic background and opportunities for growth.

However, after Sept. 11, 2001, a basic change has occurred in the American society. The majority Caucasian community folks have stopped being asminded as before. People who are immigrants from Asia, Africa, Middle-East and who are other than Christians or Jewish, are not being trusted now as before. If you are a Muslim, a typical Caucasian American may suspect you, especially in mid-western cities, until he/she comes to know you well. Aside from Arabs, South Asians with obvious Muslim names like Mohammad, Ali or Hussain are facing significant more scrutiny in routine matters such as when traveling by airlines, renting an apartment or renting a car or seeking employment.

This summer a significant number of Muslim youth who are looking for summer jobs have faced this problem. There have been several instances when Muslim teenagers looking for summer employment have been told to give Christian names like Mike or Nancy. Muslim girls who wear hijab are looked upon as possible security risk. Even Muslim citizens with U.S. passports are subjected to lot more scrutiny than others in public places like airports.

The second-generation South-Asian immigrants like my teenage children, who were born in America, are specially upset at being subjected to such special scrutiny since they were born here, grew up with Caucasian children; for them America is their only home. I would like my children to observe the various Muslim customs, have Muslim names and be proud of being Muslim. Surely I do not want them or their children in future to have to adopt names like Mike or Nancy, or hide their Muslim identity, in order to escape extra scrutiny or discrimination. Also I do not want them to have any inferiority complex in the American society because of their obvious Muslim names or appearance. Hence I am very concerned that due to the pressure from the American society-at-large they may be forced to give up their Muslim and Indian identity.

Dr. Dinesh Patel, chief of Arthroscopic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital

Several issues concern me. Foremost among them are protection of health, safety and welfare of friends and family. That automatically falls within the wider ambit of protection of civil rights and fairness in due process and judgment based on established norms of the society.

Hate crimes being on the rise along with the fear of terrorism limits the opportunity to grow based on merits and works negatively on the willingness to serve the adopted land. Invisible quotas in admissions to institutions of higher learning and glass ceilings for our young women are other issues that move me to action. But I feel there is an apathy on the part of community which shows in not getting involved to be good citizens --- such as the simple act of voting which is part of serving the society’s needs and signifies political participation on domestic issues affecting us.

The Indian-American community ought to be careful in exposing (portraying) their community as the rich and smart. That is exuberant ego. Not all went to IIT (Indian Institutes of Technology). Not all are doctors. Not all have gotten IPO’s (Initial Public Offerings). Not all are successful businesspeople. Not all are from Silicon Valley. Not all are CEOs. There are many, many Indian- American working people who need help and are working day and night to grow based on their work ethics in all disciplines. The United States will remain competitive globally if opportunity based on their caliber has been provided to hard-working people like Indian Americans.

The spirit of founders of U.S.A. should be kept alive in their successors. It should be the aim of those who govern U.S.A., to make and keep U.S.A. a true secular country as U.S.A. has won for herself a conspicuous place in the intellectual history of the globe. Turn back only a few hundred years and you are deep within quiet colony times, before the French or Indian war or thought of separation of America from England. But now another war, the war of terrorism, is at hand that controls the home policies as well as the international policies, especially the new era of understanding with the country of my origin, India.

Obviously, then what concerns me the most on an international front is if the friendship between India and U.S.A. will be an honest one or a temporary one only to see who backstabs whom first... especially when both the countries have always maintained adequate independence of thought and global dealings, particularly during the cold war era. It is also noteworthy that everytime U.S.A. has not been so sympathetic (accommodating) toward the Palestinian (Middle-Eastern Islamic) cause. U.S.A. has pampered (more than necessary) the Pakistani (Islamic) cause in the subcontinent of India at the expense of India, probably with an aim to keep the Russian ally, India, bleeding --- one of the cold war syndromes. We, of course, as citizens of U.S.A. (people of Indian origin), hope that such a situation does not arise in the near future and the friendship between India and U.S.A. will be based on mutual respect rather than mutual fear.

Subash Razdan, founder of the Gandhi Foundation in Atlanta

On a domestic front, the issues of concern remain the glass ceilings to penetrate upper management; racial profiling, especially after Sept. 11; the unfair discrimination of our (Indian American) youths for admissions into medical schools and in some Ivy League scenarios, the high cost of health care, education... the looming recession!!!!

Q: What are the issues that make you feel positive about life in this country at this juncture?
Even though I am very concerned at the current environment of suspicion against immigrants from Asian and African countries, and their offspring, I am very hopeful that this bad situation will pass. That is because unlike many other countries in the world, U.S.A. is a real immigrants’ nation. One of the basic factors for the astounding progress of America in various fields in the last one hundred years is the fact that, people from all over the globe came here and overcoming differences of ethnicity and religion, worked shoulder to shoulder to make America a real world leader. That being America’s core ethos, I am very optimistic that after a passage of time from the horrible carnage of 9/11/01, mainstream Caucasian Americans will think about that ethos and gradually revert back to the freedom and trust of “others” that existed here before. The other very important asset of America is its tremendously superior infrastructure and science/technology base. This infrastructure inherently needs skilled manpower to sustain itself and to grow. Thus if immigrants like me and my children work with dedication and make real input, they are bound to overcome discrimination and suspicion.

I am optimistic about the opportunity to excel and the well-established democratic processes that help add to our mutual desire to enhance the quality of life and to grow. This is certainly better compared to what one would get from one’s land of heritage. But that may be just my perception, I do not know. Good health care, proper food and nutrition, educational institutions providing a wealth of subjects to study and grow the intellect and excel, and the ability to continue to help the needs of the motherland by whatever means we have in any and all fields are the opportunities that make me feel positive about life in this country.

July 4 serves as a reminder of the American citizens, especially the Indian Americans who have contributed toward the endowment of America. There is in the history of America, in what she has done, in what she has achieved, abundant reason for profound gratitude. Foremost, the freedom and liberty through the glorious Constitution. Then the quality of life, clean environment, education, the scientific spirit of the age that has wrought the change, etc. etc. Yet, there is laid upon us the compulsion of the national life as our lives will be challenged by limited resources of the economy. We, as Indian Americans, dare not keep aloof and closet ourselves while America comes to grips with the recession.

Filled, then, with these thoughts of July 4, the memories of the past, and standing upon the threshold of a new period in the history of America after Sept. 11, let us give thanks to American leaders for the good that has been done by the men and women who have served America and the citizens who have gone out from America.