NYC-Feature Story-World Trade Center

Stories About Tolerance, Stereotyping, War, Loss and Friendship

Here are brief summaries of 16 stories on tolerance, stereotyping, war, loss, and friendship. Each story is followed by several "Think About It" questions to spark discussion and reflection on those themes. Click on the summary to see the entire story.
[More about the stories and lessons.]

Unlearning Stereotypes, by Zeba A. Khann
In a workshop on race relations, Zeba confronts her stereotypes about Black males. NYC-1991-11-16a

A Friend Was Stabbed
We Wanted Revenge, by Carlos Lopez
When Carlos's friend is stabbed, his buddies go off looking for someone to hurt (even though they don't know who did it). At first Carlos wants to go, but then he realizes that this is madness and opts to stay behind. NYC-1990-11-11b

No Place to Call Home, by Mohammad Ali
Mohammad, who's Kurdish, suffers through the Gulf War bombings in Iraq, and then criss-crosses the Middle East and Europe, until he finally finds a home in the U.S. NYC-2000-04-16

Under Wraps, by Sahara Walsh
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, women have suffered special discrimination. They live under virtual house arrest, must wear garments that completely cover them, and cannot attend school after age 8. NYC-2000-03-11

My Grandmother:
Racism Destroyed Her Trust, by Carrie Yip
Carrie describes how her grandmother's internment in a prison camp during World War II affected her ability to trust others. NYC-1994-05-13a

Friends Keep Me Going, by Sonia Nuñez
With most people Sonia feels uncomfortable and hides her feelings, but with her friends she can forget her sadness, relax, and even smile. NYC-2001-09-22

Overcoming My Prejudices, by Edith Littvan
Edith realizes she was wrong to blame an entire group of people for the actions of a single individual. NYC-1998-12-10a

Stepping Out of Stereotypes, by Edith Littvan
Edith's history class prompts her to evaluate her identity and question the beliefs she holds about others. NYC-1998-12-10b

Life After Death, by Winnie Tang
After an acquaintance is murdered, Winnie learns to value living in the moment. NYC-2001-09-08a

Our Rage Turned into Racism,
by Winnie Tang
Winnie describes how some of her friends reacted in a negative way to a friend's murder, blaming all Black people for what one person did. NYC-2001-09-08b

Asians: The People In Between,
by Sumi Wong
With all the focus on Black/White relations, Sumi feels that racism experienced by Asian-Americans is overlooked. NYC-1992-06-04

Overcoming Racial Isolation, by Kyeeniah Nix
Kyeeniah, who grows up in an African-American and Latino neighborhood, never has a friendship with a White person until she meets Sal in high school. NYC-1988-04-07c

What You Lookin' at, Willis?,
by Curtis Holmes
People expect Curtis to be a shoplifter or a mugger because he's a Black teen. NYC-1998-12-05

The Media War on Arabs, by Mohamad Bazzi
Mohamad examines prejudicial attitudes toward Arab-Americans and Muslims in the media, following the Persian Gulf War and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. NYC-1993-04-11a

Where's Your Bomb?, by Mohamad Bazzi
When he goes through airport customs, Mohamad has three strikes against him: he's young, a Shiite Muslim, and carries a Lebanese passport. NYC-1993-01-16b

The War Hits Home: No Parades for One Bronx Family, by Sheila Maldonado
Ismael Cotto joins the Marines to learn a job skill, but comes back from the Persian Gulf War in a body bag. NYC-1991-04-08