Is the U.S. Racist?

Orientalism has come to be known as why as Westerner’s, we have a preconceived notion of the kind of people that live in the East. I know now why I see the East in a view point that I never had noticed before. It is because of media that I have developed opinions of people and places that I myself have never been too.  I like to believe that as an education major I am very accepting of all people, religion, and cultural backgrounds. However, I had believed for a time that I knew and understood certain things about certain countries, regardless if I had evidence. After reading and watching both pieces about Edward Said, I realized certain things about not others cultures and lands but about myself and my own country. I realized I think the way I do because my country has showed me that the media, regardless if movies or news, that their evidence is always right.

                I am a fanatic Disney fan. I cannot deny it. And I have seen flaws in Disney all of my life and realized they twist the truth. However, when the video of Orientalism was playing, for once I really heard and understood the lyrics. I was shocked because I know all the words and sing every song. But it finally hit me that these are derogatory words and aren’t even accurate. The one phrase that really stuck out to me was, “Hey it’s barbaric but hey it’s home.” I was in utter shock to hear such a line. Firstly no one would ever want to live in a barbaric land! And secondly, what kind of people are able to write these kind of lyrics? I considerably doubt that a lot of people who wrote the music for this movie are from the East and if they are, the percentage that they make up versus’ the East’s population itself would probably disagree. This part really upset me regardless of all the other movies that described people from the East because this movies target audience is children. If this is what they’re seeing and hearing, no wonder people think the way they do about the East.

                Another piece of information that popped out at me was the way people reacted to the Oklahoma City bombing. I remember when it happened and I remember learning about it. I never was told about the thoughts that Middle Easteners had conspired to do it. I was always told that a young White man had done it and that was that. Even worse than Disney, “rational” adults has said this without any evidence. I believe that the U.S. itself acts like a child. They are irrational and need someone to blame situations on and the sad part is that because there are terrorists in the East that people believe it easier. Worstly, that people the ‘bad’ guys are over there but there are terrorists everywhere.