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645 racial incidents reported in week after September 11
The South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow, a national non-profit group, released a report documenting 645 incidents of racial backlash against Arabs, South Asians, Muslims and Sikhs in the first week after the terrorist attacks of September 11.
Titled American Backlash, the exhaustive report studied news reports from all over the country. It documents in detail the press coverage of a range of incidents from racial jokes to assault, arson, verbal harassment in the streets, phone threats, property damage and shooting deaths.
Divided into sections headed 'At Work,' 'At School,' 'In Public' and 'At Prayer,' the report studied cities with populations of 50,000 or more.
As a result of the backlash incidents many 'were frightened to leave their homes, attend work or school, or practice their religions," the report said.
The report says: 'America became less free.'
SAALT Board of Directors member Debashish Mishra, a vice-president of Masala! Inc, told India Abroad that about a dozen people researched the report. He said at the time they compiled the...