Simone Bell-Dennis

Wynne
English 102
17 February 2017

Analysis of the Muslim Ban

America has reached a new level of controversy, midway of 2016. The past presidential

election between Donald J. Trump and Hillary R. Clinton caused a large upset in the media. The

election was full of scandals and accusations, this American election caught the attention of

onlookers from all around the world. Trumps blunt social media blasts, and press conferences is

how he shared his goals for America. He has said many things that have offended many in

different ways, but there were also many Americans who strongly agreed with his propositions.

One of his bold propositions was banning Muslims from entering the United States. The Muslim

ban is an executive order that prevents citizens of Iran, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and

Somalia from entering the United States for a period of ninety days. This order would suspend

the United States Syrian Refugees program, and reduce the entrance of refugees into the U.S.

from 110,000 to 50,000. Muslim Americans felt a sense of rage and disbelief at the way Trump

publicly generalized them, and tried to accomplish this prejudice act. People across America

either supported the Muslims rights or backed Trumps propositions. People that supported

Trumps views thought of the terrible events that took place during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This

event made an imprint in their minds that Muslims generally are out to terrorize America. The

American nation is currently a whirlwind of strong opposing views. The first genre chosen was a

visual. A photograph by an unknown photographer, spoke volumes in relation to the Muslim ban.

The Muslim female pictured has a youthful, but strong look on her face. She has direct eye

contact with the camera lens, and she is wearing a black hijab with a painted face the colors of
red, white, and blue. Her eyelids are outlined black with the American flags stars surrounding

her right eye, and the white and red stripes surrounding her left. The photograph represents

Muslim strife in America. The second genre chosen was written. The poem I, Too was written by

the late Langston Hughes. In this work, his intent was to speak upon the oppression of black

people in America, but his words also relate to what Muslims in America currently feel. The two

genres contain messages that are relevant to modern day America.

Discrimination of colored people in America has put a strain on the country for

generations. The start of American oppression was the enslavement of Africans. But, as time

progressed other people of color felt empathetic toward the discrimination blacks have been

experiencing for years. The visual genre seemed to be intended for anyone that wanted to receive

the message. The fierce look on the young womans face shows that the photographer wanted

people to listen. He wanted to show the unhappiness and struggle on her face. The visual was

undoubtedly produced to bring awareness to the Muslim American community. The written

genres audience was originally meant for the oppressors and the oppressed, which were blacks

at the time it was written. However, the piece is timeless in the sense of it relating to African

Americans and Muslims. Hughes wrote,

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
Ill be at the table
When company comes.
Nobodyll dare
Say to me,
Eat in the kitchen.

Hughes expressed how he was overlooked due to his appearance, but one day he would be seen.

This message correlates to the visual genre where she just wanted to be seen, but blended in as a

plain Muslim American with no voice in life. These pieces seem to have been made for the

purpose of telling a story, but not to entertain.

The genres are both one in the same when it comes to the overall purpose. They are both

trying to spread awareness about oppression of colored people in America. However, the two

genres are in separate categories which makes them have major differences. The short poem

requires language that paints a picture in the readers mind, but the photograph forces the reader

to comprehend the message in the picture. It is also hard to determine which genre is easier to

analyze, due to them both leaving out blatant factors so that we interpret the hidden message for

ourselves. I take the same message from both works, so I would say the goal the creators had in

wanting to relay a message was successful. I chose equally effective genres in telling a

meaningful story. Both the visual and written show heartache, pain, and the dream to advance in

America. It is admirable that both of the genres complement each other when analyzing the two

side by side. The photograph is a great face for the poem, and the poem is a great summary of the

photograph. These two genres show the impact on Muslims with the recent change in the United

States.