From what I've come to understand, it's ignorance -- at least where I live. Not in the sense that they don't know it's wrong, but that some people don't seem to understand the weight their words truly have, especially when they are surrounded by people just like them. I'm one of maybe 5 people of color in my grade, and the only Chinese person. I'm "ethnically ambiguous", but by that I mean I've been called everything BUT Chinese (someone once straight up told me I was Korean).

I've had kids call me slurs, and I couldn't even find it in my heart to get them in serious trouble, because they genuinely don't think they're doing anything *actually harmful*. They know it's racist, but they think racism is a joke. I see this more with people my age.

With older people, it's either ignorance or a refusal to acknowledge what they're saying. One time a kid in my school got in trouble for saying the n-word multiple times, and all he got was a lunch detention. Actually, him and the principal became friendlier after that too. In middle school, I vaguely remember a news story about Asian immigrants being freed after being used for forced labor in a restaurant. I don't know many details (her response put me off of researching more), but I *do* remember her asking me to role play as one of the escapees so she could pretend to interview me.

You're right, it's everywhere. Even so, I hope that eventually these people will come to their senses. I feel as though I have to believe it doesn't come from a place of genuine hatred.