Last Friday, on March 19, a young Asian couple experienced verbal harassment on the streets of New York City. Maria Ha, a 25-year-old, along with her husband, 31-year-old Dan Lee, were told to “go back to communist China” by a woman sitting in a taxi.

“She said, ‘You’re not from here, you’re from China, go back.’ We’re here because we thought it’s diverse, it’s inclusive, like that’s what New York is all about,” said Ha when interviewed by Spectrum News NY1.

Lee recorded the harsh encounter, angrily saying that he should memorize the license plate and any other information about this woman to report it to the authorities. His recording is truly stressful, showing foul and racist verbal attacks from the anonymous woman. The video spread around the internet and people are wondering who this woman was.

The woman was later identified as Maura Moynihan who is the daughter of late Irish-American senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Moynihan claims to NY1, “I mistakenly thought she was trying to cut me off and take my cab . . .  [She came] with a man, who began verbally assaulting me and hurling a series of awful, racist accusations. By this time, I regretted challenging the woman over a taxi, but there was little I could do, and we mercifully drove off.”

The couple filed a police report, and the NYPD is investigating. The NYPD reports there were at least six hate crimes against Asian-Americans made this year. However, these crimes are difficult to prosecute due to the lack of evidence and a potential bias. Lee presses that a racial slur is “inappropriate and unacceptable” and hopes that justice will be brought.

Eunho Jung, a Wayne Hills junior, is appalled by this incident.

“As a Korean person living in America, this makes me so mad. Although many would like to think this is a single isolated incident, it is not. Even if she wasn’t the daughter of a late senator, it should still be spoken out against. Although I do understand during this time people are suffering and they look towards someone or something to blame, targeting a whole demographic does not accomplish anything and instead divides our country even further,” Jung argues.

Juliana Lee, another junior, agrees with Jung.

Lee states, “This is absolutely horrendous to watch. I have seen so many similar instances where those of my race are insulted and verbally assaulted and it is sickening. Truly these people who yell these racial slurs are ignorant and are scapegoating those who are Asian for starting the pandemic. In reality, it was a combination of ignorant and stubborn people who do not understand the gravity of the pandemic and simply will blame anyone but themselves.”