The WWE doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to working with different ethnicities. Many times over the years the company has packaged superstars in gimmicks based on nothing but sad and dated stereotypes, all to various degrees of success.
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So far that has not been the case with NXT and Monday Night RAW standout Sami Zayn, who has proved to be one of the company’s most popular wrestlers. Zayn, real name Rami Sebei, was born in Montreal but is also a Syrian Muslim who is proficient in Arabic. While his natural charimsa and personality come through in his in-ring character, race, religion, and stereotypes aren’t part of his persona.
In an interview with ESPN, Zayn talks about how he’s trying to reestablish how Arabs are perceived in the industry. “It’s definitely a sensitive topic to discuss, but I have felt since I signed with the WWE I was in a unique position to reestablish how Arabs were perceived in the WWE and western media. Ever since I was a kid and growing up and watching things like the ‘Naked Gun’ movies, there was always this stereotype about how Arabs were perceived and portrayed. I’ve never watched those Arab villains in the movie and felt like that was me. They were nothing like me, and now I get to just be me — and hopefully being me strikes a chord with a lot of young Arabs and non-Arabs, honestly. We’re really not all that different.”
Zayn wants to give fans from all nationalities someone they can relate and aspire to, saying “I think it’s important for youngsters from all walks of life to have some sort of representative that they can look up to and aspire to be and let them know there’s a chance for anybody from any background. That’s the spirit of America, right? Anybody from any background can make it anywhere with enough hard work. I think the more people from all walks of life who speak up and the more diverse success stories we have, the better that is for our youngsters growing up, knowing they can attain those same goals just like anybody else.”
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