I am sorry, but this is your state of mind and your personality. Which is fine since nobody should force you to live where you are not comfortable. Plus, the benefit of living in the US is we still have choices to decide where we want to live. Heck, you are free to live as homeless bum if you choose to do so.
I have lived in place with so much racial tension where a person from a minority group cannot look anyone from the majority group wrongly when they are sitting in the same bus, less a fight would break. Living in the midwest with so many friendly people who mostly leave me alone is paradise compare to where I lived in the past. And so what if they look at you with curiosity, I too would look with curious eyes at something I do not see everyday. Just nod and smile. So many things can be smooth out with just a smile. That is the one thing lost with all of the mask mandates but I digress.
This is not in any way, shape, or form an attempt to invalidate your feelings and thoughts. I just want to present a different take on living in the midwest.