Pennsylvania’s second lady says she was racially abused while grocery shopping
The wife of Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor has alleged that she was racially abused while grocery shopping.
Gisele Barreto Fetterman told CNN that the incident began while she was in line at Forest Hills Aldi, two miles from her home in Braddock, on Sunday evening.
"A woman walks past me and stops and looks at me, and then says, 'ugh, there's that n-word that Fetterman married,'” Ms Fetterman, who is married to Pennsylvania Lt Gov John Fetterman, told the broadcaster.
“And, she said you don't belong here, and she called me a thief, and uttered some other ramblings. And, (she) kept walking, went to the other aisle, came back, said a few more things."
Ms Fetterman, who was born in Brazil, said she is no stranger to threats and insults but that she had never experienced it in person.
The second lady posted a short video on Twitter that captured the end of the alleged incident, in which a woman in a mask can be seen shouting a racial slur at her through her car window.
“I love love love this country but we are so deeply divided,” she wrote in a caption alongside the video. “I ran to the local grocery store and was met by and verbally assaulted by this woman who repeatedly told me I do not belong here.”
She added: "the confrontation continued into the parking lot where I was able to finally capture it after the crying winded down. This behaviour and this hatred is taught.”
The woman in the video has not yet been identified.
The 38-year-old said the encounter had reminded her of the “scary times” when she lived as an undocumented immigrant as a young child after she fled because of violent conditions.
"Even though I'm 38, I'm second lady and I have a family and a career, I was immediately again, a scared a nine-year-old undocumented little girl in that grocery line," she told CNN.
“I think people are more comfortable now being so bold in their bigotry or their hatred,” she added, describing how the woman “didn’t hide from it”.
Ms Fetterman is usually accompanied by a security detail of Pennsylvania state troopers but attended the store without them on this occasion, The Washington Post reported.
In a statement, Aldi said the woman would be no longer welcome at their stores.
"We must stand together against racism in America. We absolutely do not tolerate harassment, discrimination or mistreatment of our customers or employees, and we condemn it in all forms," the chain told CNN.
"We are reaching out to the Second Lady today to reiterate our stance, and ensure she feels safe and welcome in our stores anytime."
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf also condemned the "ethnic intimidation and racist speech spewed at the second lady”, calling it “shameful and unacceptable”.
“Racism and hate speech are always unacceptable, and unworthy of Pennsylvanians,” he said in a statement,
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