Every time injustice rears its head in this country, I hear the same refrain: “I don’t recognize this America.”
February 19 reminds us otherwise. In 1923, the Supreme Court denied citizenship to Bhagat Singh Thind because he was brown, not white. In 1942, Japanese Americans were forced into concentration camps because of their heritage.
These are not anomalies. They are the result of a nation built on laws that have long prioritized whiteness at the expense of justice.

Some of America's most dreadful chapters unfolded on this day, and that trend continues in 2026 I intended to publish this on February 19, but the first day of Ramadan took that slot. Every time injustice rears its head in this country, a familiar refrain from well-meaning Americans emerges: "I
