Several Puerto Ricans living in the United States were concerned about the number of violent episodes and racism against African-Americans and Hispanics that have emerged in the country after the election of Donald Trump as the new President.

Although for some in the diaspora it was common to feel some type of rejection from the American community, an interview with NotiCel confirmed that those experiences have worsened in the last few days.

Nitza Peña, a Puerto Rican woman living in Long Island for more than 20 years, stated she was thrown out of a public beach last Sunday for no apparent reason. Although she tried unsuccessfully to talk to the police, she had to leave the place that she has visited and voluntarily helped to clean up for the past two decades.

The violent acts have increased in areas mostlyassociated with Republican Party supporters. Peña said that she even got used to the fact that people confused her withMexican woman, due to her dark complexion and straight hair.

‘I think our community, which is no stranger to racism, is going to be stronger. These are times of resistance! I’m in a Republican ‘county’, but fortunately I work in New Jersey. Sadly, the Muslim community— especially women— will be the worse victims, but we hope to be there to support them,’ explained Peña during the phone interview.

Although it would seem absurd to see that areas with a high population of boricuas take part in these acts of violence, it has already been proven otherwise.

Puerto Rican Marielsa Caraballo, for example, shared her preoccupation in reference to the multiple incidents with which she has had to work with in Orlando since the election.

Caraballo, who resides in the south Orlando area, had to reassure her seven year old daughter that they weren’t going anywhere, after a classmate warned her she had to be careful because Donald Trump would deport all parents of children who speak Spanish.

‘It was very hard. The truth is, I was very sad because I did not expect the election’s result nor having to explain to a seven-year-old girl what are adult problems. The boy did not want to mistreat her, but he was warning all the children who speak Spanish at the school that, because of Trump’s win, they were going to be left alone because Trump was going to take their parents out of the US,’ she said, stating that in that school in particular, 80% of students are hispanic.

Although less frequent, the situation has also affected daily life in high profile American areas such as Cambridge. According to Firuzeh Shokooh Valle, a nine year resident of Boston’s highly liberal and intellectual sector, the electoral result shocked Cambridge high school students to the point that they had to postpone mid-terms until this week, waiting for the school’s mood to return to normal.

‘There were lots of students affected. They were crying at school. My 16 year old daughter told me that a teacher started her class giving the boys time to release all tension by saying the bad words and insults they wanted freely. The school administration decided to postpone the mid-term exams, which were that week, until this week,’ said Shokooh Valle.

Like these, multiple acts of violence have been committed in the country following Trump’s election. According to media reports, cases of hatred from the white population towards minorities have increased.

During his campaign, Trump was known for making racist remarks. However, the protests have prompted the elect president to call for calm and peace in the nation.