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In response to this article on a Pakistani's visit to New York, Misbah Manzoor Khashkheli presents her own experience of a stay in the mega-metropolis of New York City.
Frank Sinatra was not wrong when, as homage to one of the most renowned cities on earth, he uttered this lyric, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”.
The concrete jungle of New York is home to millions of faces, dreams and realities. The diversity and hustle, the breathtaking skyline, waterfronts, cultural fusions, the nobody-cares-about-you-because-they-are-too-busy-earning-their-living attitude and just the mere harmony of daily life – all make it a place to behold and take in.
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I stayed in the city for work, for about a month. Being a Karachiite in New York gives you a certain home-away-from-home feel; Manhattan is loud and perpetually busy, with honking cars and an endless swarm of pedestrians – everything just keeps going...on.
It really is a thing of beauty. No one judges you for what you wear; a hijab, a turban, a mini-skirt, or if you have a dozen piercings or a beard. People are too pre-occupied sipping their daily coffee, reading on Kindle, jumping into their routines.
And, even if they do notice for a second, they’ll just pass by harmlessly. It is not just the subways. Out on the streets, in hotels, stores, everywhere, people are bound to be as indifferent as you are. Everything goes on like clockwork. You are just one second here in the grand scheme of time.
For a Muslim, access to halal food is as easy as heading out to a nearby “Salateen Karahee Hotel” – well in Manhattan at least. Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens, gives a part Middle Eastern, part Burns Road Karachi/Lahore Food Street vibe, with numerous halal eateries and cafes. Owing to its ever-expanding Muslim population, New York City has no shortage of mosques and Islamic Centres, be it in Tribeca, Manhattan or Jamaica, Queens for that matter.
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On a sunny weekend afternoon in October, when I was strolling through the streets of Manhattan, I did a double take when I suddenly heard the sound of an Azaan.
What. An Azaan? Where from?
From what I could recall, there was no mosque near my current location. To my surprise, it turned out that one of the halal food carts was playing a recorded Azaan since it was Zuhr time.
In the midst of that mid-town cacophony, what my heart felt then is indescribable; pride perhaps, or a sense of belonging at the very least, which made me rush over to the cart just so I could hear it better. I greeted the vendor and enjoyed the meal from his cart with a satisfied smile on my face.
On another instance, I was shopping at a store for my nephew back in Pakistan. I used my credit card, and as policy I had to show a photo ID (my passport). To be honest, I was initially scared because...well, the media hasn't really helped in how Pakistanis and Muslims are perceived abroad. So, I reluctantly revealed my green passport and the cashiers loudly exclaimed:
'Oh! You’re from Pakistan, that’s so cool! Tell us more about your country.'
A simple transaction for a stuffed animal turned into a conversation on all things Pakistan, its tourism and traditional hospitality. And, this would happened very often.
I would bump into an extremely friendly Starbucks Barista, or a cabbie during rush hour, and in the conversations that ensued, I went from a mere traveller to becoming a representative of my country. This became a welcome norm for me.
With 'desis', the greeting was like an in-built reflex. I would come across one while exploring parts of the town, and a nod followed instinctively. In a split second, we resumed walking. In a split second, we were New Yorkers again.
I was afraid of being singled out for being a Pakistani or Muslim, but during my stay there, I was never attacked or harassed on the basis of race or religion. Life, I learned, was about keeping my cool and conforming to coexistence.
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To a local, owing to inflation, job hunts, rents, hand-to-mouth living, crime rates and what not; New York City is beyond tough. But it truly, genuinely, makes you tougher. You grow as an individual. You strive for a better future and in a city designed for doing just that, you get an additional push. Ask any random New Yorker and they’d tell you, 'We don’t want to fail at this. It is hard but we are making it work'.
As a Pakistani, I loved this attitude and worldview. As a resilient Karachiite, my instincts knew I would survive there.
If given a chance to settle in a metropolis like NYC, don’t be afraid of the things it is notorious for – the news of hate crimes, discrimination and the likes. The city is a world of its own, and beautiful in its unique, morale-building ways.
Like Frank said, once you make it here, you can make it anywhere.
—Photos by author
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