Prejudice Against Arabs
As a concerned American-Egyptian, I feel racial prejudice toward Arabs has gone too far. During the Gulf War, I was mocked with slurs like “camel jockey” and “7-Eleven owner.” Fellow students ridiculed my last name.
Some people are just prejudiced. People did not realize that I am Egyptian, not Iraqi, and that Egypt was part of the coalition fighting Saddam Hussein.
My parents left an anti-Christian Egypt in 1968 coming to the United States to seek religious freedom and continue their education at University of California, Davis. They were unable to attend the university in Egypt because they were Christian.
Unfortunately, their freedom was tainted with cruel remarks arising from Gamal Abdel Nasser’s conflict with Israel and the United States.
As an American I feel free, but as an Egyptian I feel hurt by racial slurs made by friends and others.
DANIEL EL-BOGDADI
Long Beach
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
