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| Tracey Tong defended a Muslim couple from a verbal attack. She didn't know she was being taped. |
With all the crazies carrying concealed weapons, would turn away? Walk away? Or would you dare to get involved? Intervene? Come to the victim's aid?
A woman who intervened to stop racial abuse on a New York City subway train said she had previously “promised herself” she would step in if an abusive situation arose, according to Colorlines.
Video of the incident, which has been widely shared on social media, showed 23-year-old Tracey Tong coming to the aid of a passenger being berated by an older woman.
The attacker, who said she was from Puerto Rico, was captured on camera berating the couple, “Why are you here?" she shouted at the couple. "Why are you in this country? You are not one of us.”
One nearby rider, with a noticeable accent — asked the woman to stop being rude. The woman can then be heard yelling back, “no, you don't understand ... you are not even from here! I am. I was born in America,” the woman says.
That's when Tong, whose father is Chinese, stepped in.
The 23-year old Tong told the Guardian that the woman was attacking an African/American woman wearing a hijab and a man who appeared to be from the Middle East.
On Thursday (March 17), Tong told the Guardian that a “rush of adrenaline” helped her jump in. “I had been seeing all these crazy videos online of all these people being so racist, against people’s religion, skin color and all that stuff, and I would always get so mad and furious. I promised myself if I ever witnessed that I would totally freak out,” Tong said.
On Thursday (March 17), Tong told the Guardian that a “rush of adrenaline” helped her jump in. “I had been seeing all these crazy videos online of all these people being so racist, against people’s religion, skin color and all that stuff, and I would always get so mad and furious. I promised myself if I ever witnessed that I would totally freak out,” Tong said.
In English and in Spanish, Tong asked the attacker where she was from, trying to make a point about the country's diversity.
“I am born here and I don’t like the way you are treating her,” Tong tells the woman.
“We are all in this together. Whether you like what’s going on in the government or not, fuck it, you got to deal with it. You are a grown woman.”
Tong, whose father is of Chinese descent and whose mother is from Peru, steps in and asks the woman in both English and Spanish to stop berating the pair off camera, eventually succeeding.“I am born here and I don’t like the way you are treating her,” Tong tells the woman.
“We are all in this together. Whether you like what’s going on in the government or not, fuck it, you got to deal with it. You are a grown woman.”
“I am born here and I don’t like the way you are treating her,” Tong tells the woman.
After speaking to her in Spanish, Tong switched back to English.
“We are all in this together. Whether you like what’s going on in the government or not, fuck it, you got to deal with it. You are a grown woman.”
“I am not asking you to be quiet. I am asking you to please respect her ... In Spanish, in English, in Chinese, in French. Whatever language you want me to tell you,” Tong said.
The woman attacker remained quiet for the rest of the trip until she got off the train without incident.
We should all be Tracey Tong. #StopHate
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