On June 4, President Barack Obama gave a landmark speech in Cairo, Egypt that resonated with people around the world. Obama received an enormous amount of support from Islamic nations and people of Muslim faith, who responded well to the honesty of his speech. This was the first time some people had heard a political figure talk honestly about the strained relationship between America and the Muslim world. Due to the conflict between some Americans and their Muslim-American brethren, along with the international conflict that America faces with Islamic nations, Obama’s much-needed speech came during a time when morale and the potential for a union between the United States and Muslim nations are at an all time low.

Obama’s speech in Cairo called for a new America to be formed in which our enemies may be allies. He drew attention to the strained foreign relations between this country and Muslim nations, along with strained domestic relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims. But what was perhaps most refreshing to hear was the firm stance that Obama took on the degradation, discriminatory practices and slanderous remarks that Americans make toward those of Muslim faith. When Obama deplored such remarks, I understood for the first time what it means to uphold the traditional idealistic values for which this country is known.

Tolerance of those of different faiths or races isn’t enough. There should also be an element of acceptance to validate the experiences that make each story different from the next. Some people of color — including myself — as well as those of different faiths need to feel that their experiences are an integral part of America and the concept of what it is to be an American. America is not a concept that applies only to certain people who look a certain way. Minorities' stories of struggle, triumph and victory are just as important as those of European descendents. Minorities shouldn't be penalized when extremists act out of character and justify their actions with cultural teachings and beliefs.

Both Muslim and non-Muslim Americans should come to a place where mythical stereotypes are dispelled and our differences are accepted. We should not fear those who don’t look like us. As citizens of the world and as a nation, we should bridge the gap between the promise of America and the reality of America’s practices, making the “land of opportunity” a place that actually makes opportunities of social upward mobility possible for all.

There are many examples of this country’s intolerance of cultural differences that distinguish one person from the next. Muslim women face a constant battle against government intrusions contesting when it is appropriate to wear the hijab, a veil worn by Muslim women that covers the hair. Racial profiling of Arab, black and Latino Americans continues, and they all face a continued struggle to prove to those outside their cultural and ethnic group that the images that depict them in the media are misrepresentations.

This country is made up of immigrants, and immigration continues today on a large scale. And the concept of the American Dream comes at a greater expense for some than it does for others simply because of this country’s habit of being intolerant of people’s differences, especially when the media exploits images that misrepresent racial and cultural groups. Examples of this intolerance are vast and innumerable. They range from the racial profiling of men of color to de facto segregation in urban neighborhoods. And the most blatant, current example of Jim Crow on display is the poor education that students of color receive in urban areas in contrast to their white suburban counterparts.

Though this country has historically done a poor job in bridging the gap between America’s promise and its practice, the more I hear and see Obama make an active effort to right the wrongs that America’s distorted past has done, the more I feel that America is beginning to bridge the gap between ideals and practices. For the first time, America is making strides to be a place where not only the privileged few can experience the American Dream. And it is this plea of Obama’s to reconcile America’s past that has led me to begin to embrace my patriotism for this country to an extent that I've never felt before.

Brittany Smith can be reached at smitbrit@umich.edu.