By Ed Diokno
Views from the Edge
What would you do when faced with an act of bigotry?
With all the crazies carrying concealed weapons, would you 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.”
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.
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 asks the woman in both English and Spanish to stop berating the pair off camera, eventually succeeding.
“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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