Jeffrey A. Keaton’s letter, “Caucasians endured racial taunting in Hawaii” (Star-Advertiser, July 22), contains patently false claims of “blatant racism” in Hawaii.

He characterized President Donald Trump’s “Go back home!” rant — directed toward women of color who are members of Congress and U.S. citizens — as “allegedly” racist when it is ugly de facto racism, especially when considered alongside the dozens of Trump’s past racist and misogynistic harangues.

His absurd bet that every Caucasian person here has been subjected to the taunt, “Go back to the mainland,” speaks to his own bias.

Keaton also mischaracterizes the phrase “local jobs for local people” as blatantly racist and anti-Caucasian. He defines “local” in a way that automatically creates an ugly division between the many racial and ethnic groups of Hawaii that most people would embrace as an admirable melting pot.

Sadly, Keaton’s charges of racism are aimed in the wrong direction.

John Hoshibata

Mililani

Click here to read more Letters to the Editor.