Muslim Americans and Muslim residents of the United States found themselves in the crosshairs of this new civilizational standoff. And unlike Russian citizens or immigrants during the Cold War, who could generally find safe haven on account of their whiteness and ability to blend in to mainstream society, Muslim Americans were generally more conspicuous and consequently more vulnerable to private and structural bigotry.

XREF: Connects to broader histories of how physical conspicuousness determines vulnerability to bigotry across different American eras.

Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Unde…, loc. 237