Earlier this week a video went viral of an Argentine man, Carlos Hakas, attacking Benjamin Ramirez, an elotero, and violently overturning his cart for “blocking the sidewalk” in Hollywood, Los Angeles. In the video, Ramirez points the camera towards himself and can be heard saying  that Hakas “is a racist who came to damage my things” and in turn, Hakas can be heard saying “I’m not a racist, you mental retard, I’m Argentinian.”

Despite the many ill-considered statements made by Hakas, affirming his Argentinian heritage does anything but excuse his heinous actions.

There’s a lot about this incident to unpack, but two things come to mind immediately:

First, harassment of street vendors is far from uncommon. Especially in the age of an administration that has normalized hateful rhetoric and violent actions, Hakas actions come as no surprise.

And equally necessary to unpack is Latino Whiteness and it’s ties to Latinx’s complicated history with European identity — an identity that has formed a structural superiority complex within the Latinx community.

Hakas affirming his Argentinian heritage is another reminder that many countries in the Americas have established a historical narrative that is deeply intertwined with racial homogeneity. It’s how many countries came to define national identity via ethnic superiority.

This is not to say that every Argentinian or every White-passing Latino has an inherent identity or agenda, but the “Euro-centrification” found in the Americas is not limited to countries south of the United States border, it is, as the saying goes, “as American as apple pie.” Whiteness, contempt for others, even contempt towards those within our own community is transnational.

Despite Hakas being an immigrant himself, the Latinx community is understandably upset at his treatment of Ramírez, another immigrant. Ramírez’s father told the press, that Hakas and his girlfriend had already harassed Ramírez at least three other times.

Our community’s complicated history with a European identity is nothing new, and neither is the mistreatment of immigrants in and outside the United States, be they Latinx’s or street vendors.

It’s important to remember that immigrants bind the social fabric of this country and despite Hakas’ actions, we must remind ourselves that street vendors are not solely merchants, they are the mothers, fathers, and children of our community. They have turned a means of survival into neighborhood staples and despite the Hakas’ in the world, they remain cherished community members.