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Arellano: The banality of evil in the Border Patrol's secret anti-immigrant slur

For at least half a century, Border Patrol workers have used the onomatopoeic word "tonk," referring to the sound of someone getting hit, as

Cali Reporter staff · July 31, 2026
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Arellano: The banality of evil in the Border Patrol's secret anti-immigrant slur
Arellano: The banality of evil in the Border Patrol's secret anti-immigrant slur

For at least half a century, Border Patrol workers have used the onomatopoeic word "tonk," referring to the sound of someone getting hit, as slang for undocumented immigrants.

Original reporting: LA Times, California.

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