AT THE SPEED OF NOOR

During autumn of 2011, I visited New York with my family and some family friends for about a week. Although this was a few years after 9/11, and the number of stories I hear about  Islamophobia  has decreased by then, I was pretty anxious; were there really fewer cases?, did prejudice/discrimination against Muslims still persist but merely change form?, were there just fewer reports? It didn't help that getting the tourist visa to enter USA itself was a daunting experience, so I was expecting a rollercoaster ride before, during, and after the trip.

Although I grew up consuming mostly media from the US, and I had a few friends (irl as well as online) from the country, it's hard to pin down what/how I feel about it. USA is usually portrayed as being loud, proud, and crowded. This may not paint an accurate picture of its citizens in all the states, but tbh I did feel equally intrigued and intimidated by the people there.