U.S. History: Comparing Immigrant Experiences During Wartime

This essay explores the historical questioning of immigrant loyalty in the United States, particularly during times of war, focusing on the experiences of American Germans after the First World War and American Muslims following the 9/11 attacks. The essay highlights how both groups faced significant discrimination, suspicion, and prejudice, including hate crimes, racial attacks, and public humiliation. It contrasts the specific forms of discrimination, such as physical abuse against German Americans versus the mental and emotional toll on American Muslims. The essay references the Sedition Act of 1918 and other laws that curbed freedoms, as well as the rise of Islamophobia post-9/11. The analysis underscores the impact of wartime sentiments and societal biases on immigrant communities, revealing the complexities of identity, belonging, and the challenges of maintaining loyalty in the face of national crises. The essay concludes by emphasizing the varying degrees of severity in the treatment of both communities, while highlighting the common thread of human suffering and marginalization.

Running head : U.S. HISTORY
U.S. HISTORY
Name of the Student :
Name of the University :
Author Note :

1U.S. HISTORY
The loyalty of immigrants has always been questioned. More so if an individual belongs
from a different community, religion or ethnicity. To top it all, war has always been linked with
communal sentiments. Modern warfare such as the American Revolution, French Revolution,
First World War, Russian Revolution and Second World War were not religious in nature but
these altered the fates of millions of people who belonged to a particular ethnic group (Maier).
Similarly, after the dilapidating effects of the First World War, the lives of the German
Americans changed completely. Before the war, the largest English speaking minority
community consisted of the Germans.
American schools taught German language and it was the most studied foreign language
during that time. Cities like Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis allowed the option for the children in
elementary school to receive their instruction in English as well as German. There was a
dramatic change after the First World War. Germans were badly stigmatized. In fact, only few
schools in America now taught German. The same happened after the attack of 9/11. Muslims
were disparaged badly. Any Muslims or Arabs who looked like the terrorists of 9/11 were held
responsible. Both the Germans and Muslims were seen with suspicion and fear.
There were more hate crimes than before 9/11(Keynes and Maynard). The Muslims were
subjected to racial attacks, insults, discrimination and were asked to “go home” by many. They
were humiliated in public transports, universities, schools, supermarkets and everywhere they
went. Young girls were asked not to wear hijabs as the parents were scared that they would be
attacked (Selod). Many homemakers did not step outside their homes out of fear of being
assaulted. The American Germans had to face severe atrocities after the First World War. They
were beaten up by the mob, hanged to trees, mistrusted and more. People everywhere developed
anti-German sentiments. Similar treatments were meted out to the American Muslims.

2U.S. HISTORY
The American Germans were educated, culturally rich and charitable group of people.
They care for the old people, helped others personally and professionally. After the outbreak of
the First World War, the Germans residing in the U.S. tried to become completely “American”.
They faced constant critical inspections from the native Americans. Their loyalty towards their
nation was questionable (Spykman). New laws were enforced curbing the freedom of speeches,
trade and press. The Sedition Act of 1918, The Espionage Act, The Trading with Enemy Act,
which were passed in 1917, restricted the citizens from criticizing the Government or going
against the same.
Thus, both the communities suffered from racial discrimination and inequity. Both the
American Germans and American Muslims were called the “hyphenated Americans” and were
asked to go back to their own country. However, after the terrorist attack of 9/11, the entire
world developed ‘Islamophobia’, which is an aversion towards Islamic communities and its
people resulting in marginalization and discrimination of the group. No such terminology was
used in the case of the American Germans after the First World War. The American Muslims
were subjected to interviews by the FBI and their every step was under inspection. No such steps
were taken for the American Germans. After 9/11, Muslim noncitizens were deported from the
States, many were jailed without charges and severe security checking was done at the airports.
The American Germans were segregated on a different level. They were physically abused.
Whereas, the American Muslims were mentally tortured. Thus, both the communities had to
face a lot of humanity, humiliation and savagery. The magnitude varied in respect to the two
communities.

3U.S. HISTORY
References
Keynes, John Maynard. The economic consequences of the peace. Routledge, 2017.
Maier, Charles S. Recasting bourgeois Europe: stabilization in France, Germany, and Italy in the
decade after World War I. Princeton University Press, 2015.
Selod, Saher. "Citizenship denied: The racialization of Muslim American men and women post-
9/11." Critical Sociology 41.1 (2015): 77-95.
Spykman, Nicholas J. America's strategy in world politics: the United States and the balance of
power. Routledge, 2017.