...encounters like this one are becoming more common because racists feel empowered.
A 62-year-old man appears to be in need of geography lessons after he allegedly accosted a woman for wearing a T-shirt with an image of the Puerto Rican flag in an Illinois park.
"You should not be wearing that in the United States of America," the man can be heard saying to her on a video she posted on Facebook. "Are you a citizen?"
Irizarry is shown in the video wearing a sleeveless shirt that is made to look like the Puerto Rican flag and has the name of the U.S. territory printed on it.
That appears to have set off the man.
"Are you a United States citizen?" he asked again, prompting Irizarry to say she is. "Then you should not be wearing that. You should be wearing a United States of America [inaudible]."
Later in the video, Irizarry is shown asking a Cook County Forest Preserve District police officer for help in getting the man away from her. The officer does not move any closer to the pair or appear to do anything to actively end the situation.
Story
Video