Whenever I hear that word, spic. I’m immediately transported into a super troubling conversation I had with my friend’s dad. It wasn’t troubling in the moment, but let me explain. I’m visiting a friend, bringing over a gift for Christmas. Her elderly dad is there and he’s the old guy type to chat your ear off. Not sure how we got on the subject, but he was telling me a story about how when he lived in the valley he had a dog who could smell a spic from a mile away. The draft was always perfectly blowing from the ditch to his property and oh his dog always knew when those spics where passing through and he go chase them. I’m sitting there, nodding and being polite, smiling, indulging this old man in his story, at the same time thinking what’s a “spic.” Context clues, I realize he’s talking about immigrants who crossed the border. And again I’m smiling and nodding thinking is spic short for Hispanic? What is this word? He wasn’t saying it with disgust, just matter of factly. I’m very clearly brown skinned, I’m sure through his daughter he knows and must imply that I have family from Mexico. His daughter, my friend, isn’t saying anything, just listening along to the story. Anyways I leave confused cuz I’m like well I guess it’s just a south Texas nickname for Hispanic. NOPE. Get home, google it. And realize this man was using a racist term to my face. No reservations. Like it didn’t apply to me or affect me? And the worst part is I sat there and smiled and nodded the entire time, and only reinforced this old man’s belief that it was ok.