Being a hundred miles away from home, from family, brings its own share of difficulties. The current American political climate only adds to that already lengthy list.

The date of the Muslim holiday Eid-ul-Adha is dependent on lunar sightings, and this year, it happened to fall on September 12th. A day after the anniversary of that horrific terror attack which caused collateral damage in the form of bolstering discrimination against those of South Asian descent.

So you can imagine what went through my mind, as I thought of my parents and brother trekking to the Mosque that Eid morning, donning their traditional silken garb, all in public view. I thought of recent attacks against people of South Asian descent, in New York and throughout the country, which has only heightened in frequency thanks to the rhetoric and promises of a certain orange fascist.

I never really considered myself Muslim, despite a childhood inundated with Muslim tradition, but I regard it as a piece of the puzzle that is my identity. And yet, since I grew up in a predominantly Asian part of NYC, I was never truly cognizant of how different my heritage made me from the majority of American society.

But this time, I was filled with real, genuine fear for my family's safety. On a day when people of Muslim heritage should have been celebrating, I had to tell Mom to be wary, don't keep my brother outside for too long, walk at a swift pace.

Maybe I was just being overly paranoid, after all, New York City is a liberal enclave in the Northeast. But the presence of so many factors - people in Islamic attire on the streets, the 15th anniversary of a terror attack, the intense bigotry present in the current political climate, as well as the occurrences of Muslim-targeted hate crimes in NYC just this past month, I couldn't help but feel a bit... helpless.

This election will be my first election, and I am eager to exercise my right. But I also know the decision this November is more than an abstraction, more than a question of political ideals. It is a concrete act of resistance against an ideology which seeks to down-trod on people of color, of women, of LGTBQ+ people.

For once in my life, I am aware of people who share my skin color are being dehumanized and accused of not being citizens. I am more empathetic than ever to the plight of minority groups, and I want nothing more than to push back against bigots who feel emboldened by the words of Cheeto Benito.

After years of blending in, I now embrace my visibility, my conspicuous status of being a brown man in an era which stigmatizes that shade. Caught in the crossroads between model minority and terrorist suspect, I say no more. It's tough enough being a college student in this era, I don't want to have to fear for my family's well-being from hateful fools.

So keep in your mind and heart those who are affected, and go out and vote.