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CNN Live Today
Muslims Changing Their Names
Aired April 08, 2002 - 12:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well since September 11th, a growing number of Muslim-Americans are going to court to change their names. They say their Arabic-sounding names could make them a target for bias and harassment. As CNN's Garrick Utley reports, the trend follows a long American tradition.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARRICK UTLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a familiar scene. Palestinians watching the violence in the Middle East on Al-Jazeera, the Arab language news channel. You can feel and hear the anger.
UNIDENTIFIED: All of our community really is very, very mad and very angry about what is happening now.
UTLEY: But this community is on Main Street, Patterson (ph), New Jersey, at least four of the September 11th terrorists lived in Patterson as they planned their attacks.
Who lives in this community?
UNIDENTIFIED: It's mostly really Arab-Americans here.
UTLEY: Hama Alidodo (ph) was born in Jerusalem. He came to the United States more than 30 years ago and teaches chemistry at a local university.
HAMA ALIDODO (ph): You have Palestinians. You have Jordians (ph), Syrian, Lebanese, some Turkish, few Iraqis.
UTLEY: And as they gather at the Arab (INAUDIBLE) Cafe, they say they have never felt more stigmatized for who they are.
UNIDENTIFIED: Arabs and Muslims actually became somehow, you know, wherever they go, as if there is some kind of a dark mark upon everybody which looks at or resemble Arabs.
UNIDENTIFIED: The story of those who have come to this promise land called America seeking a new life has so often about discrimination and stereotyping followed eventually by assimilation and acceptance. The process of becoming an American is about your identity, to what extent do you cling to an old one or seek a new one.
UTLEY: Derek Hasan (ph) has faced that question. He lives and works across the Hudson River from Ground Zero. Born in Pakistan, he came to this country as a child. Now is he has changed his name to Terry Hasan (ph).
TERRY HASAN (ph): I mean I'm still the same person just with the name Terry, I'm communicating that as a Muslim, I can also embrace America and still have my Hasan (ph) classic Muslim last name but also an American first name.
UTLEY: There is a long tradition of immigrants Americanizing their names to fit in better. Schmidt becomes Smith. Josepe (ph) turns into Joseph. Since September 11th, a small but growing number of Muslims have been changing their names.
UNIDENTIFIED: Everyone has a right to a personal choice. Now maybe that's me being too American or too western in the sense like of individualism. But I think it's a personal choice.
UTLEY: But at the Arab (INAUDIBLE) Cafe, Terry Hasan's choice is seen as something approaching cultural treason.
UNIDENTIFIED: After September 11, I really think that is demeaning and it is not really very courageous. As a matter of fact, I can really call it cowardly.
UTLEY: Terry Hasan is not bothered by what other Muslims think of him. But even with a new name, he says his religion isolates him in American life.
HASAN: Many people don't know Muslims in their work life. So as a result, people have a stereotype of Muslims they get from world politics. And there's no personal experience for most people to counter that. So my fear is that Muslims are dehumanized, depersonalized.
UTLEY: He is not alone.
UNIDENTIFIED: This is a melting pot. A land of immigrants and you want to have our share in it and contribute our share as well.
UTLEY: That has always been the American dream. But for some now, that dream is a little more distant. Garrick Utley, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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