An analysis of news stories about Arab American reactions to the Gulf War shows how the news media represented and reinforced a hegemonic construction of America as a unified, inclusive imagined community through ethnic differences. The stories accomplished this through sympathetic portrayals of the heartfelt struggles faced by Arab Americans as they feared the loss of Arab lives and the threat of racism duringthis time while simultaneously reiteratingtheir steadfast loyalty to America. Paradoxically, Arab Americans' ethnic position and wartime struggles became a powerful representation of what it means to be an exemplary, patriotic American.
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