On September 11th, ETA Shannon Pinzon initiated a conversation about identity with the students in her school’s English Club. Students started by writing words on the board that they associated with “American.” Following this, everyone sat in a circle shape and as a group, shared different definitions of “identity.”

After some time discussing different examples of identity, Shannon took the time to explain the details of what occurred on that same day in the US in 2001. Shannon explained the sharp rise in hate crime directed at Muslims or those perceived to be Muslim following 9/11. Students engaged in an insightful dialogue about how identities can often be distorted by others within society by using stereotypes and through media outlets that perpetuate false misconceptions about different communities. The meeting ended with students sharing what they wish Americans knew about Muslims. Shannon was excited to see the level of engagement of her students and see them express their desire to continue these types of discussions in future English club meetings.

Shannon Pinzón is currently teaching at SMA Laboratorium UM in Malang, East Java.