Summary and Analysis of Rasha
Neeisha Tucker
Mrs. Gallman
English 101
30 February 2012
Summary and Analysis of Rasha
The first story, in How Does It Feel to Be a Problem by Moustafa Bayoumi, talks about Rasha, a Muslim, and her outlook about her family and her life story about being a problem in America. It all happened early in the morning while sleeping on February of 2002, lights were flashing on their house and she and her whole family were being handcuffed by the INS, US Marshals, and the FBI. The FBI agent told her that she and her family were being investigated for any terrorist connections from the 9/11 attack. She knew that this was not an accidental arrest because the team knew about their status and identifications. Rasha stated, “The man seemed to know everything about the family, including the fact that Rasha’s two youngest brothers, both minors, were U.S. citizens,” (Bayoumi 21). Then the whole family was separated and they were taken in to different prisons. Rash, her sister, and mom had to be stripped search, wore converse shoes and beige jumpsuits, and they were taken in to prison cells. Rasha thought that her family would get separated forever or get deported back to the Middle East. In the end, they were free to go and they were reunited with their whole family. Rasha and her family did not realize how bad racism was until this “accident”. When she was in prison with her family, she experienced racial slurs by the guards. Rasha found friends and lawyers to help her and her family get out of prison. Rasha and her family were eventually cleared and were sent home. When she saw the American in the restaurant after her release, she went up to him and got mad at him for making her mother cry back in prison. Rasha stated, “You don’t recognize me?” All the scenes when he’d yelled at her, when he’d made her cry, when he’d made her mother cry, flashed in her mind. His expression didn’t change. “Remember?” she said, her voice rising. “MDC? You don’t remember
Mrs. Gallman
English 101
30 February 2012
Summary and Analysis of Rasha
The first story, in How Does It Feel to Be a Problem by Moustafa Bayoumi, talks about Rasha, a Muslim, and her outlook about her family and her life story about being a problem in America. It all happened early in the morning while sleeping on February of 2002, lights were flashing on their house and she and her whole family were being handcuffed by the INS, US Marshals, and the FBI. The FBI agent told her that she and her family were being investigated for any terrorist connections from the 9/11 attack. She knew that this was not an accidental arrest because the team knew about their status and identifications. Rasha stated, “The man seemed to know everything about the family, including the fact that Rasha’s two youngest brothers, both minors, were U.S. citizens,” (Bayoumi 21). Then the whole family was separated and they were taken in to different prisons. Rash, her sister, and mom had to be stripped search, wore converse shoes and beige jumpsuits, and they were taken in to prison cells. Rasha thought that her family would get separated forever or get deported back to the Middle East. In the end, they were free to go and they were reunited with their whole family. Rasha and her family did not realize how bad racism was until this “accident”. When she was in prison with her family, she experienced racial slurs by the guards. Rasha found friends and lawyers to help her and her family get out of prison. Rasha and her family were eventually cleared and were sent home. When she saw the American in the restaurant after her release, she went up to him and got mad at him for making her mother cry back in prison. Rasha stated, “You don’t recognize me?” All the scenes when he’d yelled at her, when he’d made her cry, when he’d made her mother cry, flashed in her mind. His expression didn’t change. “Remember?” she said, her voice rising. “MDC? You don’t remember