'I Already Had a Racist Experience Soon After He Passed the Law'

This interview is part of Broadly's Voices Against the Ban series. You can read more of these voices here.

Broadly: Why do you oppose Trump's immigration restrictions?

Parishma, 18, London: He talks about making America great again, but you can't really make a nation great if its roots are based on segregation, discrimination, racism—all that crap. I think he doesn't understand that every human life is worth something even if it's an immigrant life. When Trump starts the racist thing—well he didn't start it, it was always there, but he enhances it—it goes all around the world. It is our world and we do decide what happens in our world. That racism goes around everywhere, every single place.

How might these restrictions impact you or your loved ones?

I already had a racist experience soon after he passed the law. I was pushed on the street [by someone] saying, "You're next, Paki." So yeah.

If you could say anything to Trump about the immigration restrictions, what would you say?

I would ask him to keep his evil at bay and fight for human rights.

Do you have any additional comments?

I think everyone puts everyone in boxes so everyone's separated by religion or race or other things. But in the end we all experience the same things. We are so similar, so it doesn't really matter if you're Muslim or Hindu or president—it doesn't matter.

This interview has been edited and condensed.