This photograph comes from a midday walk in the vast and vibrant cultural smorgasbord that is New York City. There was a time when I imagined that this place would not interest this landscape photography guy from California. But I was very, very wrong. I love New York City, in part because of the contrast with other places I know. But it is simply a place with no end of things to see, places to eat, stuff to do, spots to hang out, cultures to experience.. On this October morning we left our Upper West Side hotel, crossed Central Park to the Upper East Side, then wandered south until we encountered a Columbus Day Parade, where I photographed this sidewalk vendor.

I’m often surprised and discouraged to encounter Americans who are fearful to the point or irrationality that they might encounter someone not quite like themselves, and that this might endanger them. So often, it seems, the most fearful people have the least experience around the “others” they fear. I’ve also visited some of the locations with high percentages of Americans who fear immigrants and people of color… and for the most part they are places where the likelihood of actually encountering those folks is low to nearly nonexistent. Why is it that the most fearful people are in those places, while in places where multicultural America is at its most diverse and vibrant this is largely not the case?

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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