Arab Prejudice

Arab Prejudice

The house next door had just gotten new tenants, and to my surprise, they were an Arab family. I have nothing against Arabs, but again I guess I had never interacted much with an Arab or even knew any personally. They had different accents, and most of the time they spoke Arabic. Also, their mode of dressing was a bit different than what most people wore in the neighborhood. The family was an extended type where the grandmother, a few uncles, and aunts, together with some children, stayed together. Most of the time, they were indoors, and nobody ever knew much about them. The children who attended my school did not talk much and went straight home after school. However, that was not the main reason for my cognitive reaction. The more signiificant fact was that much of the terrorist attacks are linked to people of Arab descent. I must admit that I could not stop thinking about the safety of my family and other people that I cared about; I felt insecure with such neighbors.

Being Arab in a different country must be quite challenging as most people view you for what others from your community did first and not for who you are. Knowing this, I now feel that it is wrong to judge Arabs because of their origins, and also because of the heinous acts that were done to people by other Arabs. I now understand that it is wrong to have such misconceptions, and it is best to get to know a person first before judging them. Stereotyping is a significant challenge when it comes to counseling individuals that one is not used to or that you may have a cognitive reaction to. Knowing the Arabs way of life is critical in understanding them and why they behave differently than other people we know. Ergo, as a counselor, I will have the needed knowledge when addressing any other Arab, and I will efficiently empathize with them with no fear or in any way with no stereotyping before I get to know them for who they are.