RACISM NEVER LEFT

By: Elián Zidán

Racism in America didn’t just return—it came back emboldened. After four years, xenophobia, intolerance, and open contempt for anyone who doesn’t “fit the profile” no longer hide in the shadows. They march proudly, fed and justified by a political narrative that has given them a seal of approval.

That racism exists in the U.S. is nothing new. It’s woven into the country’s history—from the colonization and dispossession of Native Americans to centuries of slavery and segregation. But what’s truly alarming is how, in 2025, that hatred many believed to be part of a dark past is not only alive, but re-legitimized.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve reported on case after case of racism on the news—some so blatant they feel ripped from another era. But they’re not. They’re happening now. They’re part of this reality.

Here’s the thing: it’s not wrong for a country to strengthen its borders or enforce its laws. That’s a government’s right. The issue begins when political rhetoric stops being about law and order and becomes a tool of dehumanization. When entire communities are reduced to “the problem,” “criminals,” or “illegals,” when people are stripped of their names, their dignity, and their stories—it’s only a matter of time before hatred and violence are accepted as normal.

Not long ago, people might have thought twice before expressing racism out loud. Today, it often goes unchecked. Because the people who should speak up are looking the other way.

One story, in particular, stuck with me. While reviewing content for the evening news, I came across a case out of Ohio: Ricardo, a Latino waiter at a Mexican restaurant, picked up the bill from a table only to find no tip—just a handwritten note: “Zero tip… you suck. Hope Trump deports you.”

The note went viral. Social media users quickly identified the customer: a real estate agent with Century 21. Public pressure mounted, and the company cut ties with her. But the damage had already been done. The shock wasn’t just in the message—it was in how casually someone felt entitled to humiliate another human being.

And that wasn’t an isolated case. In Arizona, a Mexican father and his son were driving when a minor road incident led to the other driver rolling down his window and shouting: “Go back to Mexico, beaners! I hope you all die.”

A minor traffic dispute—met with death wishes based on someone’s ethnicity.

I spoke with Marcos, the son in that truck. He told me he felt both scared and furious. And how could he not? When hate becomes part of the scenery, fear becomes part of everyday life.

Words matter. Whether they come from a stranger or, more dangerously, from someone in power. Political rhetoric isn’t just speech—it’s the spark that can ignite the worst in society.

This isn’t about excusing illegal immigration or ignoring the need for national security. It’s about something deeper, more dangerous: racism masquerading as policy, using politics as an excuse to show its face again—louder, uglier, and more accepted than it’s been in years.

Are we born racist, or do we learn it? What has to happen in someone’s mind—or heart—for their first response to anger or frustration to be wishing death on someone because of their race, religion, or background?

Racism isn’t instinctive. It’s taught. And the scariest part is that it’s not passed through DNA—it’s passed through words, glances, actions, and silence. If we don’t act, if we keep letting it slide, what outrages us today might just become tomorrow’s norm.

And by then, it might be too late to be shocked.