If you have just flipped through the channels in the last month, the name Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman should be no anomaly to you. After neighborhood watch volunteer Zimmerman killed the unarmed 17-year-old Martin in Sanford, Fla., a case emerged bringing up the stereotypical racism prevelant in our society. The case sent shockwaves through the nation through social media, news, and families too, including that of President Barack Obama. 

Less than a month after this vile incident, another hate-crime occurred with the same degree of violence. In Orange County, Calif., an Iraqi mother of five children, Shaima Alawadi, was bludgeoned to death in her own home and was found with a note saying “This is my country. Go back to yours, terrorist.” 

What many of us failed to realize during our “Justice for Trayvon Martin” protests and rallies was that his case was only a tiny microcosm of the hatred rampant against people of color. It’s easy to sympathize with an African-American victim, yet a Muslim woman who was killed much more brutally gets barely (if any) coverage in the media. Even after her death, Alawadi continues to be blatantly discriminated against for being Iraqi. 

My point is that racism is a deeply-rooted concept in the origins of this country and most of us seem to hear about the hate-crimes only when the media picks it up (which is pretty rare). Trayvon’s parents are getting some sort of closure, but what about Alawadi? The police of El Cajon, San Diego just dismissed the case as a hate-crime and her murderer is still on the loose. This is an injustice in and of itself.