Dream in Doubt

PBS will air the Independent Lens documentary "A Dream in Doubt" on May 30. The documentary is about a surge in hate crimes following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In particular it explores the death of Balbir Singh Sodhi a Sikh who was mistaken for a Middle Eastern Muslim. And killed for it.

The film cuts between interviews and footage of Rana Sodhi and his family and news headlines and audio of 911 calls that recall the racially charged atmosphere in the months after Sept. 11. The result is a portrait of a hardworking family man attempting to live his own American dream amid extraordinary chaos.

At the time, Balbir Sodhi's shooting in the parking lot of his Mesa gas station sparked sympathy and outrage worldwide. In his native India, the prime minister put in a call to President Bush. Nearly 3,000 people of all different backgrounds mourned him at a public service in Phoenix. Some called Sodhi the final victim of Sept. 11.

I remember this incident. It made me feel ashamed to be an American. At about this the time local Sikhs were trying to open a temple near my home in Buena Park. I had a conversation with a neighbor about the new temple building when he mentioned we should "Run those Muslim bastards out of town". I mentioned the Sodhi murder as I explained that not only were Sikhs not Muslims, but that they were traditionally enemies. The point was lost on my redneck neighbor.

A Dream in Doubt looks promising. I'll post a review after I watch it.