[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 24301]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                MANSOUR BROTHERS, HARD-WORKING AMERICANS

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we considered H. Res. 234, 
condemning bigotry and violence against Arab Americans, Muslim 
Americans, South Asian Americans, and Sikh Americans.
  After September 11, Arab American-owned businesses were boycotted 
simply because of the ethnicity of their owners. These men and women 
came to this country to escape this kind of intolerance, to build a new 
life, to worship freely, and to do business freely. They did not expect 
to be blamed and ridiculed for something they did not do. This is not 
what America is all about.
  One such business was the Sunset Diner in Ephrata in my district. The 
diner is owned by Mike and Sam Mansour, two Egyptian-born brothers. 
Mike and Sam experienced significant hardship after the terrorist 
attacks. Just as we should not single out anyone of German, Russian, or 
Japanese descent for what some of their countrymen may have done in the 
past, we should not single out people like Mike and Sam for what 18 men 
with similar ethnic backgrounds did on one terrible day. I am pleased 
that the House has considered this bill, and I hope our communities 
will all take this lesson to heart.

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