Racism/Scapegoating


My 10 year old neighbor reported seeing an Arab shopkeeper attacked by 2 men yesterday afternoon, in my peaceful Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. The police closed the store and sent the man home.

Another neigbor who works in Crown Heights, our local tinderbox, reported that tensions were mounting between the Hasidic community and the Black community.

I received a message from Mutiny, a NY group of DJs from South Asia calling for people in the media to speak out against incidents of scapegoating against innocent Arabs and South Asians [included below]. I have read several reports of men wering turbans who were attacked because somebody thought they were followers of Bin Laden.

I have heard a lot on this list about the ethnic press in NY. Could we get some kind of statement from journalists who are members of the different ethnic communities in NY? Please do not let these  terrorists succeed in dividing this city any further.

I will forward any statements I receive to my list. Let's keep the channels of information open.

Sylvie Myerson, Editor Sandbox Magazine Creative & Subversive Play
http://www.sandboxarts.org

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In light of the horrible events at the World Trade Center and the massive loss of life, this Thursday's Mutiny event has been cancelled, and the CMJ Music Marathon itself has been postponed.

We have already heard reports of threats and attacks against innocent Arab and South Asian Americans, so we are urging everyone in our communities to be as cautious as possible. Also, for those of you on this list who are in the media or in a position to speak or write publicly, we ask that you please use every opportunity to make appeals to the public against such narrow-minded scapegoating and racist violence.

Our thoughts at this time are with those who have lost friends and loved ones in this tragedy.

Thank You,
The Mutiny Crew

Editor's note: As an American who has lived in two major cities (NYC and Los Angeles), where more ethnicities reside than possibly any other metropolitan center, racial tensions are increased due to government leadership or the lack thereof. This is why we have to lead, why we have to run the government. That is what this magazine of mine allows people to do because it is clear that the ones who are leading now aren't doing a very good job. Thank you.