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Discrimination & National Security Initiative is a research organization affiliated with the Pluralism Project, a Harvard University project that studies religious diversity in the United States.
Following the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001, several communities within the United States experienced and continue to endure a prolonged and wanton backlash. In particular, Sikh, Muslim, Arab, South Asian, and other American communities have confronted verbal harassment, employment discrimination, physical assault, and even murder. For example, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a turbaned Sikh, was murdered just days after 9/11.
In response to the post-9/11 climate and the need to understand how discrimination has impacted these targeted communities in the United States, DNSI was created. The purpose of the project is to examine the mistreatment of minority communities in times of war or national crisis. DNSI is specifically interested in the human consequences of such mistreatment. In addition to performing research and releasing substantive reports, DNSI regularly notes relevant incidents and developments on its blog.
DNSI was officially established on December 18, 2004, the 60th anniversary of Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court of the United States case that upheld the forced exclusion of citizens of Japanese ancestry. The dissenting justices warned of the use of perceived race, ethnicity, or national origin as a proxy for suspect qualities, including subversion and disloyalty to the union, during wartime.