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| Vol. 23, No. 21 |
| November 15, 2001 |
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UT-Houston Doctor Travels to New York to Help Those in Fear by MERIDITH RAINE-MIDDLETON The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Dr. Daniel Creson, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at The University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute at Houston, recently traveled to New York to assess strategies for helping Arabic and Middle Eastern Americans who have been living in fear since the terrorist attacks Sept. 11. "Some had gone into a siege mentality in their homes. They closed their businesses. They took their children out of school. They weren’t going outside," said Dr. Creson. "There was really a climate of terror in these neighborhoods that are heavily populated with Arabic and Middle Eastern Americans," he said. Dr. Creson spent six days working as a consultant for the Christian Children’s Fund, a humanitarian aid organization, to bring together a network of volunteers to provide services to those who have been the targets of misplaced persecution because of their appearance or religious beliefs. In the wake of the attacks, which killed thousands at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a plane crash in Pennsylvania, Dr. Creson said there have been Americans of Arabic and Middle Eastern descent who have been verbally abused, harassed and even physically assaulted. "I was really moved by the stories of second- and third-generation Americans who were the victims of this misplaced anger," Dr. Creson said. During the trip, Dr. Creson developed an assessment strategy for counseling families who are fearful for their safety, developing dialogues between conflicting groups and educating the public about different ethnic and religious groups. "Those who are most hostile are often undermined by their misinformation," he said. "People need to educate themselves about how diverse the world really is. I believe if we can bring community groups together, they can address this issue very quickly." Dr. Creson plans to make follow-up trips to resume this mission.
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