After September 11, US changed way of looking at immigrants

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, completing 15 years on Sunday (11), the United States profoundly changed the way of looking at the presence of immigrants and the arrival of visitors to the country. In addition to the collective mourning, the atentatos led to the so-called war on terror to eliminate al-Qaeda network.

On that day, in the morning, Al-Qaeda members took over four US commercial aircraft. Two of them were released on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, and the image of the second plane being launched on the tower was broadcasted live on worldwide television stations. The third plane was released on the Pentagon, the fourth aeronove would destined for the White House, but crashed in Pennsylvania, in unrevealed circumstances. Nearly 3,000 people died in the episode.

Formerly the land of opportunity, the United States changed the rules for entry and stay in the country and increased surveillance at airports. Today, immigration is a central theme in the political dispute between conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats.

The Agency Brazil talked to immigrants living in the country and followed the schedule of political and religious events held by American society in the week before the day.

Among the many honors and memory speeches to the victims, the Americans make it clear that September 11 was a watershed and that the attacks were a reality check on the country's vulnerability. From this evidence, there are those who feed the discourse of fear and hostility to immigrants and those who try to show that it is in diversity that lies the country's ability to reinvent itself.

There are more radical positions, such as the Donald Trump candidate who preaches the deportation of undocumented immigrants, the completion of construction of the wall between Mexico and the United States and the prohibition of entry of Muslims.

The Republican has used in several speeches September 11 as an example and advocate the isolation and restriction on religious radicals as a solution to the country's security.

The other end, the president Barack Obama in his message in memory of the 15 years of the attack aired yesterday (10) by the White House, recalled the pain caused by the attacks, but also urged the country away separatist ideas.

He said the United States will not win terror with a division of speech. "In the face of terrorism can not divide us, and we can not react with division, because it is contrary to our diversity and is the opposite of what our society is built," he said.

Despite the speech, Obama receives criticism for failing to solve the problem of the country have more than 10 million undocumented immigrants.

The proposed amnesty or immigration reform has not advanced in Congress on both Obama mandates. The candidate Hillary Clinton made promises that will grant amnesty to those already in the country, but there is a distrust of the democratic capacity to solve the problem.

First, the economic cost, since the amnesty would expand the number of welfare recipients in the country. Also, many conservatives associate unemployment and the lack of fair wages in the US economy to a surplus of hand cheaper labor.

Before and after

Immigrants living in the United States for several years reported that life became more difficult for foreigners after the attacks in 2001.

23 years ago in the United States, Jorge Silva says that posture with immigrants became less friendly. "Even for those who did not have legal papers, it was easier to live. It was possible to take driver's license and have social security [equivalent to the CPF]. After September 11 was much more difficult for immigrants entering illegally to legalize" said Silva, who currently works at the Brazilian Consulate in Atlanta.

He recalls that on the day of the attacks, was working on the painting of a house in Washington, about six miles from the Pentagon. "It was a terrible day, the government directed that all we got back home and it was a very sad day," he said.

Muslims also became more stigmatized. Sheriha Kamish came from Iraq to the United States in 1998, at age 17, with his family. She says that after the September 11 saw decreasing tolerance with immigrants especially with the followers of Islam.

"I remember well that people started to see us as intruders and many began to fear. It was common to see people crossing the street to avoid passing close to the people," Sheriha account that uses veil on the day and works in a hospital as translator.

In assessing it, the biggest problem is the generalization. "In the first moments after the attack, people looked at us as potential terrorists and thought we were all al-Qaeda followers."

Sheriha account that saw resurgence cycles, with the rise of the Islamic State, and that many Americans associate all Muslims living in the country to the group.

"There is a difficult thought to combat that all Muslims agree with radical terrorists. That is a lie that stigmatizes all," he complained.

Even for Americans who have a more balanced view and avoid stereotypes against immigrants, the attacks are still a wound, remembered annually in these fifteen years.

Mary Stuart Lane is voluntary in two public schools in the city of Alpharetta, north of Atlanta, Georgia. At the time of atentatos she was 18 and was finished high school. Today, it helps primary school students and high school in school events and activities. Early last week, children and adolescents placed nearly 3,000 flags of the United States on the sidewalk between an elementary school and one high school. Each flag represents one of the victims of the attacks.

She says be aware that the attacks were an attack by an extremist group and that immigrants should not pay for it. but mind that can understand the fear.

"It's hard not to be afraid. We will never forget," he says.