Donald Trump's name is the new slur.
Students at two Midwest high schools recently hurled Trump-themed insults at Latino students, using the presidential candidate's anti-immigration rhetoric as inspiration for repulsive basketball game chants.
Fans at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind. Friday held a cutout showing Trump's face and chanted "Build a wall! Build a wall!" during a basketball game against Bishop Noll Institute, which has many Latino students — highlighting Trump's pledge to erect a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Four days earlier, students at the predominantly-white Dallas Center-Grimes High School in Iowa chanted "Trump! Trump!" during a basketball game against Perry High School, which has a more diverse student population.
Latino activists believe the real-estate mogul's name — which has been affixed to casinos, clothing labels, golf courses, high-rise buildings and wine bottles — now represents hate speech.
"People who have racist viewpoints have been able to successfully use 'Trump' as a code-phrase for derogatory, racist statements," said Joe Enriquez Henry, the National Vice President of the Midwest Region for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation's oldest and largest Hispanic organization.
Students an Andrean High School in Indiana taunted their rivals with a Donald Trump cutout and mock ESPN Deportes set.
"Somebody who's angry and wants to say something in a negative way to Latinos at a demonstration or when their team is losing can say 'Trump' or 'USA,'" Henry added.
Andrean’s student section settled on a patriotic theme for Friday's game, donning items such as flag bandanas and Captain America T-shirts. Some students dressed as TV anchors on a mock TV set for "ESPN Deportes," the Spanish-language channel.
One student held an oversized Fathead cutout showing Trump's face. After the students chanted "Build a wall! Build a wall!" the rival fans responded, "You're a racist!"
Andrean administrators and the Diocese of Gary, which operates the schools, are investigating the shameful situation.
"Any actions or words that can be perceived as racist or derogatory to others are antithetical to the Christian faith and will not be tolerated in any of our institutions," Bishop Donald J. Hying said in a statement released by the diocese. "It was the furthest thing from anyone's mind that such actions would be happening at a gathering of two of our Catholic high schools. This is not what we teach our students."