Getting "randomly" pulled over on a regular basis by Border Patrol whenever I drive near U.S. entry, every time being heavily questioned if I was an American citizen, being held for hours at a time whenever they thought I was lying (almost all the time), even while producing I.D. One incident where they tore my truck apart looking for drugs while I was on my way to class, with them begrudgingly letting me go and leaving my truck in pieces when they could not find anything (I had parked in front of a school with cameras so nothing could "appear" in my vehicle). Countless times when walking through random parts of town and individuals visibly staring me down, feeling their hatred towards me for not being "white" and living in "their" country. My mother is Hispanic, but passes for white, and is usually left alone, while my father, whom I look like, has always experienced this, even while wearing his uniform (U.S. Army, veteran). Racism is still very much present, even if it is not as open as people openly calling others "n***r" or "s*c". But I do not hate America, or being an American. I think that America is a beautiful country with great ideals, of being able to come here, regardless of status, or race, or creed or any other circumstance and being the best that you can be. But certain individuals would rather not let that happen, and are willfully dragging down America for that, spitting on the countless sacrifices of great men who protect those American ideals. Men who died for our very right to protest, including kneeling for the national anthem, or peaceful protests, or other demonstrations that occur when we believe that America could be better, that America NEEDS TO BE BETTER.