The color of my skin is brown. I take pride in my heritage, culture and ethnic background. Lately however, I have been hearing many say, “Go home,” and, “Get out of our country.”

Everyone knows the vile terrorist attacks were senseless and disgusting. All Americans are angry that these events occurred, but we must be cautious where we direct our anger. Our anger should be directed at the ones that committed these heinous acts and not at individuals who look like the people who committed these acts.

As a native New Yorker, I know many who were affected by the attacks. I want to mourn, help and be patriotic just like anyone else. But when I hear stories of hate crimes against individuals of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent, I feel I have been a victim of terrorism not once, but twice.

Is this not a form of our own national terrorism? If it is, it makes us no better than the group of individuals who did this to our country. In order to impede the hate, we must stop making false associations.

-Laveen Venugopalan
graduate student