Fully American

Letter to the editor in today's NY Times:

To the Editor:

I was 8 years old when my mom and I were driving to school and heard the news of the first plane hitting the twin towers. I was getting out of the minivan but she told me to wait. 

Then the second plane hit. I could see the look of horror in my mom’s eyes, but all I could think to ask was if I could go to class. Instead, we drove home.

When we got home and saw my dad on the couch, hands over his mouth and whispering a prayer, the gravity of the attack finally hit me. I’m Egyptian from his side and grew up Muslim. Later on I could hear my parents talking and arguing.

“What do you think will happen?”

“I don’t know. This isn’t good. You know they’ll declare war. Inshallah we’ll be OK.” (“Inshallah” is “God willing” in Arabic.)

Then came the death threats over the phone. Someone shouted at us from a car, “You people should be in camps!” My parents were harassed at work, and I was called a terrorist at school.

From 9/11 on I knew I would never be seen as fully American in many people’s eyes. That feeling hasn’t changed.

Youssef Shokry

San Francisco