Joe Pitts: “Yesterday we considered H. Res. 234, condemning bigotry and violence against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, South…”

“Yesterday we considered H. Res. 234, condemning bigotry and violence against Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, South Asian Americans, and Sikh Americans. After September 11, Arab American-owned businesses were boycotted simply because of the ethnicity of their owners. These men and women came to this country to escape this kind of intolerance, to build a new life, to worship freely, and to do business freely. They did not expect to be blamed and ridiculed for something they did not do. This is not what America is all about. One such business was the Sunset Diner in Ephrata in my district. The diner is owned by Mike and Sam Mansour, two Egyptian-born brothers. Mike and Sam experienced significant hardship after the terrorist attacks. Just as we should not single out anyone of German, Russian, or Japanese descent for what some of their countrymen may have done in the past, we should not single out people like Mike and Sam for what 18 men with similar ethnic backgrounds did on one terrible day. I am pleased that the House has considered this bill, and I hope our communities will all take this lesson to heart.”