Vault: Racial Profiling

Summary

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The Bert Show – "Vault: Racial Profiling"

Date: July 28, 2026
Theme: This episode centers on the realities and complexities of racial profiling in the United States, especially in the context of terrorism suspicion, travel, and everyday life. The hosts engage with listeners sharing firsthand experiences, reflect on public perceptions, and discuss the generational and cultural evolution of prejudice.

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Main Episode Theme & Purpose

The Bert Show devotes this segment to a raw and honest discussion on racial profiling, triggered by recent news about a terrorism suspect of Pakistani descent. The hosts explore how people of various backgrounds feel stereotyped or targeted—especially in the wake of global events—drawing on listener stories to illustrate the widespread impact of profiling and bias. The conversation aims to foster understanding, highlight the emotional toll of suspicion, and consider possible pathways toward societal growth and empathy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Racial Profiling Triggered by Current Events

• Recent terrorist threat in New York brings the issue of racial profiling to the forefront, particularly for those from Middle Eastern and South Asian backgrounds.
• (01:10–01:39) Discussion over geographic terminology—clarifying that Pakistan can sometimes be included in the "Middle East" depending on context.

2. Profiling Beyond Middle Eastern Communities

• Profiling affects many groups: Asian, Hispanic, and other minorities, not just those assumed to be Middle Eastern.
• (01:39) Host E: “I've had friends from Asia that have been… they feel profile too, you know, just because they have darker skin.”

3. Personal Experiences of Listeners

• Puerto Rican Caller Jamie (02:21–02:49): Her father, a U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico, is repeatedly asked for a green card during police stops, emphasizing that "Hispanic doesn't mean illegal."
  • Memorable Quote (02:43, Jamie): "Just because you're Hispanic doesn't make you illegal."
• Muslim Women, Yasmina & Sarah
  • Yasmina (03:44–07:00) shares experiences as a visibly Muslim woman: subjected to strip searches, investigated by the FBI, told to "go back to your country," despite being a native English speaker and part of a military family.
    • Memorable Quote (03:46, Yasmina): "I'm more articulate than quite a few of the people that I know, yet they tell me to go back to my own country…"
    • (05:45, Yasmina): “If you would just have a conversation with me, you would see that I don't hate America. I love being American. I love my passport.”
  • Sarah (07:41–08:33), also a veiled Muslim and schoolteacher, describes how people are surprised she is American and speak English without an accent, often assuming she’s linked to terrorism.
    • Memorable Quote (08:16, Sarah): “It's just the stuff that people say and the way that they automatically assume that you're part of these terrorist organizations or you don't support this country.”

4. Profiling in Different Locales

• Debate on whether racial profiling is worse in small towns or large cities.
  • (03:03–03:42) Small towns thought to be more “ignorant,” but hosts argue prejudice exists in big cities too.

5. International Context

• Profiling of veiled women happens globally, not just in America.
  • (07:01) Example: In international airports in Bangladesh and Dubai, women are required to remove veils for security—showing this is a broader security vs. privacy issue.

6. Impact on Children and Families

• Susie (08:48–09:49): Married to a man of Indian descent; her mixed-race son is regularly pulled aside for extra searches at airports due to his name and appearance—from the age of four.
  • Memorable Quote (09:36, Susie): “Every single time, twice a year he's pulled to the side, taken into a room and completely searched. And he's 12 and it's still happening...”

7. Reflection on Fear and Generational Shifts

• Profiling is sometimes rationalized as a response to fear, but the personal and generational cost is significant.
  • (10:05–10:57) Host E recounts family prejudice stemming from wartime experience, noting that attitudes can change across generations.
    • Memorable Quote (10:57, Host E): “We have to understand that this is the phase we're going through… someday we'll have to get past it, you know.”

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:10–01:39: Clarification about "Middle East" and Pakistan
• 02:21–02:49: Jamie's call about Hispanic profiling
• 03:44–07:00: Yasmina's detailed anecdote as a Muslim American
• 07:41–08:33: Sarah's experience as a veiled Muslim teacher
• 08:48–09:49: Susie on her multicultural son’s repeated airport searches
• 10:05–10:57: Host E on generational impact and reflection on prejudice

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Notable Quotes & Speaker Attributions

• Jamie (Caller, 02:43): "Just because you're Hispanic doesn't make you illegal."
• Yasmina (Caller, 03:46): "I'm more articulate than quite a few of the people that I know, yet they tell me to go back to my own country..."
• Yasmina (Caller, 05:45): “I understand there being an apprehensiveness. I don't understand the rudeness and I don't understand the automatic conclusion.”
• Sarah (Caller, 08:16): “...automatically assume that you're part of these terrorist organizations or you don't support this country.”
• Susie (Caller, 09:36): “Every single time, twice a year he's pulled to the side, taken into a room and completely searched. And he's 12 and it's still happening...”
• Host E (10:57): “We have to understand that this is the phase we're going through and... someday we'll have to get past it, you know.”

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Tone & Style

The show’s tone remains conversational, open, and compassionate—marked by moments of humor and warmth, but always returning to a sincere desire to understand guests’ and listeners’ viewpoints. The dialogue aims for honesty and humility, often admitting uncertainty or personal struggles with the issues.

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Summary Takeaways

• Racial profiling is an ever-present, multifaceted issue crossing ethnic and religious lines.
• Listeners and hosts grapple with the balance between national security and personal dignity.
• Personal stories illuminate the profound emotional and generational impact of being viewed with suspicion.
• A recurring plea surfaces throughout: approach one another with conversation and empathy, not judgment or fear.
• The hope expressed is for future generations to learn from these patterns—and to move beyond them.

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Transcript

[A]

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[D]

The Birch show. Okay, so Melissa just told us that the terrorist threat in New York, the suspect, the chief suspect is from Pakistan.

[E]

He's a US Citizen.

[D]

Citizen from Pakistan. From Pakistan. And Jeff, we mentioned, we threw around the words Middle east and we got a couple of calls saying that those are two different regions. And according to online, the Middle east, just so we can get past this question, is a region that encompasses southwestern Asia and Egypt. It's some context. The term has recently been expanded in usage to some times include Afghanistan and Pakistan. So for those that were calling up saying it's not part of that region. Yes and no.

[E]

Well, and I mean, when we have the conversation, I've had friends from Asia that have been they feel profile too, you know, just because they have darker skin.

[F]

Asians like.

[E]

Well, a friend from Nepal was had issues in his life just because of his skin.

[D]

I was asking the question, you know, because Jeff was concerned about racial profiling. Obviously it is a problem in this country. And every time another suspect comes out that appears to have Middle east roots, then you tend to look at Middle Easterners differently. And I've never talked to anybody. I know it's out there. I've seen the news reports that sort of feels like they're stared at if they're from that region every single day. And just like everybody around him is on high alert. We got plenty of calls this morning. Here's Jamie. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[G]

Hi. Good morning, guys.

[H]

I love your show.

[E]

Thank you.

[D]

Thanks for calling.

[H]

My father is actually from Puerto Rico and he's been pulled over several times by police officers. And when they see the name on his driver's license. They automatically ask him for his green card. But he's a citizen and he was born a citizen. And he understands the reasons behind racial profiling.

[G]

We do have to keep this country safe.

[H]

However, he wants people to understand that just because you're Hispanic doesn't make you illegal.

[G]

I think.

[E]

I think the skin. I mean, I think that. Yeah, I think that skin tone, because there's so many regions where the skin tone is similar, and I do think that there's, you know, there's people who discriminate against.

[I]

Do you think it's worse in smaller towns and smaller cities?

[F]

Yes.

[D]

Where the ignorance levels are not going

[I]

to racially profile as much in New York City, because everybody's from everywhere. It really is like a melting pot. But maybe in Atlanta, at Hartsfield, they're gonna racially profile more.

[J]

Sure.

[F]

Like Phoenix. I'm sure it won't happen at all.

[G]

Right.

[I]

Arizona, they don't think like that.

[E]

Yeah, exactly. The whole of Arizona.

[G]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't know.

[E]

I don't know if that's true or not. I don't know if something is more overt in small towns, because I certainly don't think that major cities are as. I don't know. I think there are still a lot of prejudiced people in larger cities.

[D]

Yasmina, good morning. You're on Q100.

[H]

Good morning.

[D]

Good morning.

[H]

I am from South Carolina, but I am a Muslim woman who wears a veil and covers all of that. So I am the picture of what you see on the news. Except I don't wear all black, usually. But the things that I have gone through because I wear a veil or even when I don't wear my veil, they're amazing. I'm speaking perfectly clear English. I'm more articulate than quite a few of the people that I know, yet they tell me to go back to my own country. Well, can you tell by my accent? Like, even Bert can tell by my accent where I'm from. And it's. I mean, I've been strip search at the airport. I've been questioned. I've been investigated by the FBI. I've been just all kinds of stuff. And it's really unnecessary. If you would just have a conversation with me, you would see that I don't hate America. I love being American. I love my passport. I come from a military family. You know, of course, I have certain issues with our government, but who that pays attention doesn't have issues with or disagree with certain things that our government may do. That's Part of being in a democracy and having free mind and the ability to think freely and freedom of speech. So of course I don't agree with everything about the United States, but nobody does.

[F]

Now, can you at least acknowledge, given the way that you dress, not saying that you're not allowed to dress that way, but given the way that you dress and. And given the history of attacks on this country since even before 9 11, can you understand why people look at you more closely? I'm not justifying the rude comments. And go back to your country. And regardless of how you speak in your accent, can't you tell?

[D]

Just starting to establish some understanding between.

[I]

Yeah.

[F]

Can you at least understand why people. Why you would raise more of a flag than like Melissa walking through the airport in jeans and a T shirt?

[H]

To a certain extent. But at the same time, there's such a target fixation on Muslims. Like, I've gone to see people visit people in prison, and they focus so much on me because I have on a scarf and a veil that there are other people who will come in behind me with all kinds of stuff that they start pulling out in the bathroom that they're getting away with because they target fixate on me so much. But I mean, I understand to a certain extent, it's just like, especially considering the way that I dress, if I'm ever in the country, in South Carolina where my aunt and uncle lives, I'm kind of apprehensive around, you know, the white men because I don't know who's the KKK member and who's not. So I understand there being an apprehensiveness. I don't understand the rudeness and I don't understand the automatic conclusion. I can understand a little bit of suspiciousness because that's normal to protect and especially if it's something that you've never seen before. But don't come to me telling me to go back to where I came from to fight for what I want over there when first of all I have the right to freedom of religion right here in these lovely United States. And secondly, I'm from the United States. Don't approach me with that kind of an attitude. Just come and ask questions. I'm more than happy to answer any questions, even if they come across rude, if they're well intended. And it's not just go back where you came from.

[I]

I understand what you're saying about the rudeness part of it, but a friend of mine was just traveling internationally. She was in Bangladesh and then also in Dubai and They won't let women travel anymore with veils in airports because there are just as many female terrorists as there are male. And when women are covered, there's more suspicion, not just in the United States, but around the world. So they were making women uncover. Even in Bangladesh, where a lot of women are covered, she had to go covered to function and do business there. She had to have basically everything covered. But in the airports, they got all take it off. So I think it's interesting that it's not just here, it's everywhere else.

[D]

Here is Sarah, and she wants to be on the voice disguiser. Hey, Sarah.

[J]

Hey. Just want to say love you guys, first of all.

[D]

Thank you.

[J]

I just wanted to say that I'm also from the Muslim descent and I wear a veil. And just the way that people look at me or comment things. And I'm actually a fifth grade school teacher for the Cobb County School District. And when I say stuff like that, they're just very surprised or people will be surprised saying, oh, wow, you speak English. You don't have an accent at all. I was born and raised in this country, and I mean, I love this country just as much as the next person. And it's just the stuff that people say and the way that they automatically assume that you're part of these terrorist organizations or you don't support this country. It gets to be very frustrating at times. And I guess the reason why I wanted to call is just so that everyone would realize that, you know, give us a chance, too, that we are American citizens and, you know, we love this country just as much.

[D]

This is essentially at the root of terrorism. I mean, terrorism works when you are afraid, when you live with fear. So basically, what we're talking about is sort of, in some ways, a small win, you know. Here is Susie. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[G]

Hi, Bert. Yes, I was calling because my husband is of Indian descent and we fly twice a year from Hartford to California. My son, who is his stepson, is multicultural, he's black, and I'm Mexican because of our last name being Chandrajit and my son's first name being Isaiah. Since he was 4 years old, he has been pulled to the side. Every time we go through Hartford and search the four years, it was very frightening for my son. But we don't. He doesn't get pulled to the side when we fly back from California. It's just when we're leaving up from Hartford.

[D]

Really?

[G]

Yeah.

[F]

Atlanta. Are you talking about leaving Atlanta?

[D]

Hartford? Hartsfield.

[F]

Hartsfield, yes.

[G]

Yes. Leaving Atlanta, flying to California since he was 4 years old. Every single time, twice a year he's pulled to the side, taken into a room and completely searched. And he's 12 and it's still happening at least twice a year.

[D]

Is that right? I think it's the point that Jeff is trying to make also is that it's. This is something that we unfortunately have to live with right now. It ain't right, but it's understandable. Right? Is that what.

[E]

Well, I mean, it's just, I think there you just have to not give in to so much fear. I mean, I think Jeff's point is that, you know, I don't know because I just think about how generational it is too, because my, I remember, I remember my dad and I having a huge conversation back a long time ago in the news. There was a Japanese fishing boat that was, that was pretty much broken apart by a US submarine that had submerged. And my father who had fought in the Korean War and you know, people from that area of Asia he had a prejudice against because he fought him in war, you know, and it was hard for him to get over that. But I mean, now we think of people from Japan, we don't think we hate them, not at all. So I just think that, you know, we also have to understand that this is the phase we're going through and this is what our generation's going through and that someday we'll have to get past it, you know.

[D]

Hey, the Birch Show.

[C]

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[C]

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[B]

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