A Latina mother from Houston was on her way to vote when she was verbally accosted by a white supporter of President Donald Trump.
Janet Sabriu was driving with her two-year-old daughter in the backseat on Thursday, intending to early vote in this year’s midterm elections. When seemingly out of nowhere, the angry man began shouting at her. He said:
You’re driving in two lanes, you stupid bitch.That’s not how we drive in America. Trump’s deporting your illegal cousins today. Bitch.
Sabriu does not initially engage the racist or gendered taunts. Instead, she calls back, “Did you go vote?” To which the man replies, “Learn English, bitch. It’s my country, bitch. Get out.”
“Yeah, it’s not mine, right.” Sabriu deadpans.
The camera occasionally pans back in an apparent effort to show viewers that Sabriu’s young daughter is a witness to the tirade of racist and sexist abuse. As she drives away, the man says, “Take all the pictures you like, bitch. You’re ugly. You need a gay friend to help you with makeup and clothes.”
Sabriu filed a police report after the incident. She says that she wants justice in the form of an apology and for the man in the video to never speak to anyone in that manner again.
In comments to local CBS affiliate KHOU 11, Sabriu said:
It’s not okay–racists. It’s not okay–bullying. We have to stop all of this hate and the only way is respecting everybody, every human being.
Sabriu says she was motivated to record the incident because her friend’s son was recently subjected to a similar torrent of racist abuse in a restaurant full of onlookers who refused to speak up. She also says she hopes her video will inspire other people to film and share such encounters on social media.
“That’s the best lesson you can show somebody,” Sabriu said. “Speak up. Don’t be afraid. That’s the only way that we can stop all this hate is just showing and exposing the people because I think the majority [are] good people that don’t want this to continue.”
A U.S. citizen and Houston resident for the past nine years, Sabriu didn’t let the racist interjection sway her from her intention that day.
After filming the encounter, Sabriu continued on to the polling station and voted.
[image via screengrab]
Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher
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