The purpose of this thesis is twofold: first to demonstrate the overly negative reactions that the American public has demonstrated towards non-European ethnic Americans during and after times of nationally traumatic events. The second purpose is to illustrate how these social reactions are best represented in literature. This thesis will concentrate primarily upon the events following the attack on Pearl Harbor that led to the internment of Japanese Americans, as well as the events following the attack on the World Trade Center that led to the discrimination, violence, and even deaths of Arab Americans. These events are represented in two pieces of literature that have been chosen: Nisei Daughter by Monica Sone and Once in a Promised Land by Laila Halaby. Both of these novels tell the stories of individuals, families, and communities that were directly impacted by these two nationally traumatic events. With the support of theoretical literature from psychologist Sigmund Freud and social psychologist Gustave Le Bon, the concept of "group" or "crowd" psychology will be demonstrated as it applies to the American public and their actions towards non-European ethnic Americans. Thus, this thesis will prove that America suffers from the proposed theory "Wartime Distrust" during times of national distress. It will further raise the question as to whether or not America is capable of repeating this pattern of Wartime Distrust in the future.