Dear Editor,
THE attack on the World Trade Center by terrorists is permanently etched in the memory of Guyanese (and others) in the United States. People were in shock; time was frozen. People could not finish their chores or continue their tasks. America and the life of Guyanese came to a standstill. People remember where they were and what they were doing.
I have distinct memories of where I was and what I was doing at the time and of attending countless memorial services for Guyanese in Queens. We lost many Guyanese and so many of other nationalities. It’s a day that also changed the lives of many Guyanese. Guyanese did extraordinary things. There were so many acts of kindness by Guyanese for the families who lost loved ones and\or those who were in shock. There was so much heroism among Guyanese. Memorials and prayer vigils were held. Every year thereafter there were memorial services by Guyanese in Queens. Statements were made against extremism. From 2001, to now, every 9/11 was a solemn day. There was a sombre memorial service annually among Guyanese for victims.
I was in my classroom teaching a lesson in U.S. Government on Primary Elections to select a party nominee. Several Guyanese students were in my class. It was the second Tuesday of September, Primary Election day in New York. The nominee for mayor and other important offices was being chosen. The Primary was cancelled right after the attack and held two weeks later. Conversations were focused on the planes (transformed into bombs) flying into the buildings. Schools were closed for the rest of that week. Offices and factories were closed. People stayed home.
Conversations from that Tuesday 9/11/01 were on the attack on the WTC, Shanksville (Pennsylvania), and the Pentagon (Washington). Everyone had a story to tell. Almost everyone knew someone who worked at the WTC area; my wife worked at the bank on the next block, was about to enter her building. She, like so many others, ran for their lives when they saw the twin towers on fire. They walked miles from downtown across the bridge over the river to Queens or to Brooklyn. They hopped on buses or begged for rides to get to their destinations as the subway trains from the city that ran underground below the WTC area were suspended for security reasons. So many narrowly escaped death.
Dozens of Guyanese worked at the WTC and in the area; two dozens were killed, burned to death or pulverised by the fall of the buildings. Several people jumped out of windows of the towers; it is not known whether any Guyanese made that leap. The remains of several of the Guyanese victims were never found. Human bones were collected, but DNA confirmation has been slow.
Guyanese and others tried to comfort one another from that day onwards for weeks. They spoke of their experiences at the site of attack. From Wednesday 9/12/01 onwards, there were vigils for the victims in Queens and other counties and several rallies in support of America. So many stories or experiences were revealed by witnesses to the horrific crime. Guyanese proprietors in Richmond Hill provided their halls for free for commemorative services or for mourning. Rallies and prayer services were also held in parks. Funerals were held daily from Saturday onwards. Guyanese joined the procession in Queens for firemen or police officers who died from the collapsing towers. Two firemen victims were from Richmond Hill.
President Bush Jr. visited Ground Zero and declared the attackers would be found and paid dearly for attacking Americans. He urged Americans not to target anyone on account of their ethnicity. But there were adverse experiences among Indian Guyanese Americans and other ethnic Indians following the attack. Hatred was spewed at Indians out of ignorance. The terrorist attacks were carried out by Arabs. Americans wrongly confused Indians as Arabs. Americans could not tell the difference between Muslims and Hindus. Several Indians (South Asians) and Indo-Caribbean people were wrongly blamed for the terror attacks. Hindus were called Muslims. Some were physically attacked. I remember African and Hispanic students sarcastically telling me, “your people did that” or asking “why did your people attack us”? Ignorant White Americans in the streets also made statements such as, “Your people attack America.” Some Guyanese were called “Bin Laden” or “turban heads,” even when they didn’t wear turbans. Guyanese who sported beards shaved it, fearing they would be labelled as would-be terrorists. Many Indians were beaten on the streets. There was mistrust among Americans for people who looked like Arabs (including Indians) or were Muslims. They were profiled on planes, trains, employment, schools, and on the streets. There were hate crimes, racial profiling, bias-incidents, and job and airline discrimination.
Indian Guyanese Americans rallied for and with their country. They were/are patriots of America and of their home country. They went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq; some were killed there. Indian Guyanese had to dissociate themselves from and clarify they were/are not Arabs, saying they were/are not Arabs or from India or South Asia. Most Indian Guyanese and other Indians are assimilated into American life. Guyanese have stood out vocally against Islamic extremism and consistently mourned the loss of American lives. Two decades later, after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Americans seem to have learned the difference between Arabs and Indians. They are not the subject of bias-attacks as in 2001.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
