Public Perceptions of Eastern Culture and the Creation of Orientalist Narratives in the post-9/11 United States

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 served as a devastating stain in the period of peace in the US after the Cold War.  The day included a series of 4 plane hijacks that caused the deaths of 2,976 people as well as over 50 billion dollars in damages to the World Trade Center and the Pentagon(“9/11 Investigation | Federal Bureau of Investigation”). The attacks were led by a terrorist organization headquartered in the Middle East named Al Qaeda with its head being Osama Bin-Laden. Although there were already known terrorist organizations in the Middle East, the scale of the 9/11 attacks caused a nationwide cultural crisis where the general public made connections directly between eastern culture and terrorism. To many citizens of the United States at the time, eastern culture was defined by orientalist narratives which are specific Western representations of Eastern culture that suggest Western  superiority or that Western values are more just. One specific characteristic of these orientalist narratives, as Jeyachandra, a research PhD, explains was the stereotyping of Asian and Middle Eastern cultures to be terrorists (Jeyachandra et al. 2). While it may seem that these stereotypes have died down over the past two decades, they have made a substantial impact on the quality of life for any Arabs or Muslims living in the US. Similarly to the events of Selenidad, where the death of prominent figure Selena Quintanilla-Pérez led to cultural shifts towards idealizing Latin culture in the 1990s(Paredez), the aftermath of 9/11 initiated a shift in Western cultural practices that normalized the appropriation of Eastern symbols and traditions as well as reinforced orientalist narratives through media portrayals along with political discourse and military actions. This shift has led to an oversimplification of Eastern culture, adversely shaping public perceptions by reducing its complex history to blatant stereotypes.

In the rubble of devastation, there was a light in the unity of the United States. However, this unity came at a cost because of how it came to be. After the plane crashes in 9/11, the media’s portrayal of muslims and Arabs as terrorists had a “rebirth” leading to the oversimplification of their culture(Serdouk 2). In the 1970s, popular films such as Prisoner in the Middle (1974) and Black Sunday (1977) portrayed muslims as terrorists, feeding stereotypes, but nearing the 2000s, this portrayal was starting to decrease(Serdouk 3). The portrayal of Selena’s memory was similar in the 1990s in the wake of Latin cultural movements where the media created its own narratives, influencing the public’s perceptions of other cultures. In Selena’s case, however, the origins of her life and culture were remembered, leading to a positive public perception of her life, although cultural appropriation was still common(Paredez 13). Cultural appropriation in this case, defined by Angela Gracia B. Cruz, an associate professor of marketing at Monash University with a PhD from Auckland University, is the “taking of elements from another culture in problematic terms" (Cruz et al. 963). The portrayal of muslims as terrorists led to a completely different narrative being created that oversimplified eastern cultures. As Jeyachandra explained in his article about orientalist narratives, Eastern cultures are often seen as exotic and stale, not having new innovations like the West, however this is not the case; it is a narrative created by the collective memory of Western cultures(Jeyachendra et al. 2), similar to how the American people idealized Latin culture after Selena’s death(Paredez 12).The history of Islam dates back thousands of years, promoting peace and a strong foundation to building character from a young age(Yunita et al. 103). In the words of Muhammed Ali, a prominent believer in Islamic culture and a figurehead in American Muslim culture, “The word 'Islam' means 'peace.' The word 'Muslim' means 'one who surrenders to God. ' But the press makes us seem like haters”(Louisville). While the culture of Islam promotes peace, the orientalist narratives created after 9/11 do not take this into account due to a lack of complete knowledge on the culture. This leads to inaccurate and oversimplified media representations of muslim culture as seen in newspapers and films such as Munich which as Serdouk discusses, provide a “cooperative relationship” between Hollywood and the US Government(Serdouk 7). The narratives created as a result of the collaboration between the US government and media outlets seemed essential to the reconstruction of American Patriotism after 9/11 since the spirits of many were dismantled; however, the consequences of using the idea of a common enemy backfired. As shown in Selenidad, media narratives can preserve and uplift cultural identity as well as cultural recognition when created thoughtfully, but this was not done in post-9/11 media, creating ongoing stereotypes that have ravaged Eastern culture in the US(Sitaru).

While the oversimplified media portrayal of eastern culture was prominent in the post-9/11 era, political discourse and military actions were the driving force in shaping a collective memory of the tragic events. A key influence behind this collective memory is the idea of false nostalgia. False nostalgia is the selective recollection of an idealized past, where only the comforting, uncomplicated aspects of history are remembered (Norberg 2). Now this idea of  false nostalgia was a perfect way to unite citizens of the US after the terrorist attack, working in tandem with orientalist natives to create a narrative that political leaders could use to shape public opinion on topics such as terrorism, culture, and globalization (Norberg 3). Political leaders carefully curated a version of history that fostered unity but did so at the expense of cultural complexity. Anthony Burke’s study of moral discourses after 9/11 shows that debates on just war and ethical peace were deeply intertwined with manipulated narratives, offering moral cover for policies that sidelined Eastern communities (Burke 329–53). The result was a political and cultural feedback loop, where selective memory, fueled by false nostalgia, provided the foundation for ongoing discrimination and social division. As seen in the “War on Terror” after the events of 9/11 there was significant tension between the East and West in regards to how terrorism would be handled. The Afghanistan War, being a prime example of this ethical dilemma on how the US would handle terrorism in the future, dragged on for years, even after the main purpose of the war was accomplished, leading to the unnecessary deaths of thousands of  US soldiers. These deaths during the ongoing war at the time fueled public perceptions of the East at the time, however the case of these deaths was not as simple as it was made out to be by the idea of  false nostalgia. When the general public would get reports of deaths and failed missions in Afghanistan, it would contribute to the feelings of  loss that stuck with them after the events of 9/11, which fueled the collective hate of Eastern culture(Marlowe). As Colonel Powell explains in his 2004 essay, “Of Memory and Our Democracy,” the foundations of  the US, especially its Democracy, are rooted upon the idea of a nation that can heal together. Colonel Powell provides an example of even the military playing a role in public perception of threats at the time saying, “Today’s deadly threats come from rogue powers and stateless networks of extremists who have nothing but contempt for the sanctity of human life and for the principles civilized nations hold dear.” While inspirational, Powell’s speech contained hints towards who the main enemy at the time was, terrorist organizations, however the public opinion connected terrorism directly to Eastern cultures as seen in Sardouk and Jeyachandra’s analysis of Eastern stereotypes. 

As stereotypes and orientalist narratives run rampant around the United States, it is important to understand what Eastern culture is about and how to understand false media portrayals as well as political discourse that can influence the collective memory of the public. To combat stereotypes, there are two main solutions that will work in collaboration with each other to bring the best results, cultural exchange programs and media literacy initiatives. The focus of these solutions is to promote the removal of generalizations about cultures by ensuring false narratives are not spread by the media. Also, by implementing cultural exchange programs, the public is able to address complex stereotypes for themselves and understand the beauty of Eastern culture allowing them to embrace new perceptions of  the 9/11 terrorist attacks. According to a study done by Rohini Dandavate at Ohio State University, “The exchange experience helped develop universal (being able to notice, appreciate and respect similarities between people and cultures) and unbiased (being able to see beyond stereotypes) perspectives” (Dandavate). Along with this, the programs created friendship and connections among cultures, similar to how the phenomenon of  Selenidad led to an understanding of Latin culture, as shown when Paradez explains, “Selena and her subsequent phenomenon opened up space for the representation of working-class, brown woman and made visible traditionally ignored Latina/o histories”(Paredez 12).  While exchange programs have provided plentiful opportunities for improvement, another solution that could be implemented is media educational programs. This will work to attack the spread of stereotypes at the most significant source, media narratives. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center in 2017, around 13% of people said that media portrayals of muslims was the reason for their stereotypes, making it the second most popular reason for these stereotypes (Lajevardi). This meant that there were still significant stereotypes sixteen years after the events of 9/11. This study along with Serdouk’s analysis show how significant the media was in shaping the public perception of culture, therefore media education would also be a reasonable solution. However, as both cultural exchange programs and media education only solve parts of the problem individually, combining both would provide the largest positive change in changing orientalist narratives as shown by Rohini Dandavate’s study(Dandavate).

The aftermath of 9/11 shifted cultural practices into ones that reduced Eastern cultures to oversimplified, marketable stereotypes. The media’s use of orientalist narratives, combined with political strategies as well as military activities that selectively remembered the past, created a powerful narrative linking Eastern culture with terrorism. Although these simplified images helped rally the nation in a time of tragedy, they also contributed to lasting misperceptions of Eastern culture and discrimination towards its people. By promoting media literacy, encouraging authentic cultural exchanges, and reexamining how collective memory is used in public discourse, society can work toward a more inclusive understanding of Eastern traditions that can change public perception of the East for the better.

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