Specifically with the poem “On the Subway,” by Sharon Olds, I saw a common theme between the stereotyping of a black male vs. the stereotyping of a member of the Islamic faith. In the poem the speaker, believed to be a wealthy white women, finds herself on the subway with a black male. She begins to judge his outward appearance and states: “he has the casual cold look of a mugger,” and that “he looks at my grandmother’s coat, and I don’t know if I am in his power- he could take my coat so easily, my briefcase, my life” (Olds). Just by facing this man on the subway cart she begins to infer that he is a dangerous man and the woman begins to fear for her life. Just one look in his direction, a molecule of a glance, and she already pegs him to be a danger to her. That fear, that instant judgment that categorizes a person as a threat, is an unethical inference and one that is seen rapidly in American Muslims today. Numerous attacks are noted everyday and it is reported that hate crimes against Muslims are up 78% (Lichtblau). Some specific examples include: In New York just over a year ago, a sixth grade girl was attacked on a playground for wearing a hijab, with children claiming that she was a member of the Islamic state (Lussenhop); in Brooklyn just this year, two Muslim women …show more content…
Like the man in “On the Subway,” the Islamic people are faced with a national hatred that is steamed from attacks that happened 15 years ago. As a nation the Muslim American’s also absorb the murderous beams of the nations heart and like the young black man are stereotyped by white Americans. As a nation we must be better and fight against religious discrimination; we must end this religious