Meet Vishavjit Singh, an editorial cartoonist behind Sikhtoons, which chronicles the experiences of everyday Sikh Americans in the aftermath of 9/11. Inspired by one of his comics, Singh decided to spend one day roaming the streets of New York City and wrote about it for Salon:
People shook my hands, and a few literally congratulated me. The celebrity-of-the-moment experience was a little overwhelming. But I was jarred out of that trance by a few negative outliers. One man tried to grab my turban. Another yelled, "Captain Arab." And yet another: "Terrorista!"
[snip]
It was the most unlikeliest of days for me. Hundreds of strangers came up to me. And we were able to lay to rest any anxieties or inhibitions in those moments — about other people, about the unknown, about ourselves, about violating other people’s personal spaces or not understanding their beliefs. We could simply meet. Say hi. Snap a memory of that moment. And I could leave brand-new images on the hard drive of their mind — as well as their hand-held devices, Apple clouds, virtual worlds.