ABSTRACT
Much attention has been given to the social wounds created by racism and xenophobia. Constant new acts of violence remind us of the fragility and extreme vulnerability experienced consistently by/and between communities. Sometimes, it feels like there is no wait-out, no alternative, and no hope for the future. What is next on racial relationships? How can society move forward and imagine a different world that values differences? This project explores the role of forgiveness and reconciliation around two cases where xenophobic and religious-based violence has been inflicted on two different communities in the United States within the last decade. This chapter analyzes the aftermath of the attacks, the processes of collaboration between both communities, and how forgiveness/reconciliation played a vital role in these communities’ processes of healing and strength both at local and national levels. Furthermore, the chapter analyzes forgiveness as a revolutionary and transformative act and it emerged as an interpellation to invoke a new method for long-lasting racial relationships.
