Orientalism and Airport Security

Orientalism is a lens. A lens that has been psychologically embedded through stereotypes and prejudices, rendering his vision the same as her vision the same as the entire western vision. Now, this lens has almost magnetic qualities in which it is only attracted to new knowledge that fits into its preconceived ideas of the oriental identity.

Think about the last time you’ve been stopped for a “random” check before handing in your ticket to board a plane. As I expect, there may not even be a first time for the majority, but if there is, how often has it happened since then? How did they look at you when they checked your bags and scanned your body? How old were you? Does it matter? Did anyone else in your family get checked, and what did they look like? How did they react? How should you react?

Since the day 9/11 occurred, Middle Easterners were doomed to a fate of blind white eyes. Blind white eyes that perceived Middle Easterners solely in terms of danger, whether it be when looking at the past, present, or future. Any new knowledge or observations they received that fit outside of that box of fear was subconsciously neglected, stunting the identities of Middle Easterners in America.

With an Orientalist mindset comes the homogenization of cultures, or rather, in this case, colors. Any person vaguely resembling a Middle Easterner also became associated with fear, reaffirming the American mentality that colors are a threat to the safety of whiteness.

Next time you are traveling abroad, take a minute to see the orientalism around you...the orientalism around you…the orientalism around you...or maybe the orientalism in you.