These days, racist behavior is not always about loud slurs or open insults. There is a newer and more insidious way that some people try to intimidate or demean others by accusing them of being “illegal.” It is a tactic that plays on fear and prejudice, using immigration status as a weapon. Considering how many stories have surfaced about ICE agents detaining people simply because they looked foreign, it is no surprise that being labeled an immigrant, even falsely, can make anyone feel unsafe. One recent encounter in Tacoma, Washington, showed just how ugly this kind of behavior can get. A Latino family found themselves in a stressful situation after a minor fender bender. What should have been a routine exchange of information turned into a scene of anger and accusation when the other driver, a woman who appeared furious from the start, began shouting at them.
In a video captured by the family, the Tacoma woman can be seen demanding to see their IDs and insisting that they show her their documents after the fender bender incident. At one point, she even tried to grab the man’s phone. She repeatedly accused the family of hitting her car, shouting the same lines over and over as if stuck in a loop, saying “You hit me” again and again. The man filming even asked if she was drunk, given her erratic behavior and constant repetition. She denied it, though many viewers later wondered the same thing.
As the exchange went on, the Tacoma woman’s behavior only became more aggressive. She kept insisting that she had their license plate number and demanded their information while accusing them of being “illegal.” The family stayed calm and chose to wait for the police instead of engaging further. The video ended with the woman still yelling and pacing, clearly unable to let the situation go.
When the footage made its way online, viewers were quick to react. Many people expressed outrage over her racist remarks and pointed out how ironic it was that a Black woman would turn around and use the same kind of prejudice that has often been directed toward her own community. One commenter wrote, “Why do people think that being in the right gives them permission to act like this? Deplorable.”
Others questioned her mental state, noting that her repetitive speech and aggression seemed to hint at intoxication. One viewer observed, “That is exactly how drunk people sound, repeating themselves and not realizing it. Except she is not a funny drunk, she is just mean.”
