Analysis Of The Documentary 'Whose Children Are These?'

Shock, disbelief and terror were just enough for a country to be flipped upside down. The

attacks on the United States of America on September 11, 2001 sent the country into a frenzy

about the safety of civilians. Both the elected leaders and average citizens were faced to answer

the question of who, in their eyes, could be trusted. After the attack, not only were Muslim-

Americans suddenly seen as evil by the American people, but a program was initiated which

required immigrants from specific countries to register with the government in order to screen

for any risks to the nation. The documentary “Whose Children Are These?” brought the lives of

Muslim-American youth into the spotlight as they discussed how the country’s response
His community’s tireless efforts to save him

through their protesting until the media got involved is the main reason why he was granted the

proper documentation to stay in the country. Navila’s story was especially touching due to the

loss of a father in a close-knit family and the unfortunate call for her to cope all too quickly to

keep her siblings and mother from crumbling. The film does not have any notable weaknesses

due to its brutal honesty which speaks volumes about the issues in post-9/11 America. The

documentary’s ability to show how strong humans are both together and individually is key in

raising awareness to the issues of immigration, deportation and feelings towards Muslims.

The issues for immigrant youth in a post-9/11 world is discussed in Chapter Four of

“Youthscapes” by Sunaina Maira. This chapter focuses on how the recent War on Terror has

affected the lives of who is assumed to be responsible for September 11th even when they are

innocent. A strong connection between the chapter and the documentary is the obstacles

immigrant youth have had to overcome, “…all of them have had to grapple with
Due to the war, Japanese-Americans were looked down upon as those who would

betray the country. Just as Muslim-Americans were seen as threats, the American government-

with its people behind it-turned against those of Japanese descent, “In the event of a Japanese

invasion of the American mainland, Japanese-Americans were feared as a security risk”

(ushistory.org). In the recent presidential campaign, immigration was a major focal point with

emphasis on Muslims. Donald Trump called for a complete ban to all immigration from this

group due to ISIS terrorizing much of the world. Trump’s campaign released statement after

statement, ““Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering

the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what’s going on,”” (cnn.com).

This proposed restriction connects to the documentary by falsely giving members of one religion

ties to one group committing heinous acts.

The “American Dream” has always been about one idea: human beings all around the

world seeking a better life for their family by prospering through diligent work and