America is literally founded on racism. First white settlers came and gave smallpox to anyone who looked different than them. Then they imported dark skinned people and made them literal slaves. Half the country fought a war over the right to keep slaves. There was even a period of time when Italians weren’t considered white as a means to discriminate.

There is a lot more context than just skin tone, and unfortunately the hatred for anyone who isn’t white was never curb stomped out