We're discussing the situation in present-day tech culture, mostly with regards to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area as compared to China.

The broad history of violent bigotry in the United States does not get magically forgotten by people just because they write code for a living. And that history and that present reality means that many things are not just abstract propositions but are direct threats.

> And that history and that present reality means that many things are not just abstract propositions but are direct threats.

Historical context alone does not make a direct threat. A direct threat is a direct threat, and right now being accused of racism (no matter the truth of it) is far more scary than racism itself.