A woman who went on a racist tirade in a gas station in Phoenix is the latest so-called "Karen" to go viral when the woman she was berating stood up for herself. After the White woman grabbed her while she was walking away, the much smaller woman slapped her across the face.
The incident occurred at a Shell station at 7th Street and Greenway on Phoenix's north side when a White woman came inside the gas station and demanded she be helped immediately instead of a non-White woman and man having their purchases rung up at the register.
The White woman gets in the customers' faces, pushes the shoulder of the man, gets into an altercation with the non-White woman and with the man filming the encounter.
According to the person who filmed the incident:
"Backstory: I was checking out and this [White] lady comes into the store all flustered yelling at the clerk to get another clerk to help because the line was getting long and her pump wasn't working. Another clerk came out and she said to the young lady in the video, she can go checkout in an authoritative manner."
"The young lady said 'thank you but I don't need your assistance.' She was clearly annoyed with the lady like everyone else in the store."
"At this time the lady told the clerk not to serve her, told her she can leave, and go back to her country. That's when I took out my phone, and the rest is here in the video."
At one point, after the White woman tells the non-White woman—that she assumed to be Mexican based on a later comment she makes—to "go back to her country" and instructs the cashier not to serve her.
She then tells the couple that she is the manager when they ask if she is. There'll be more on that later.
The woman she assumed was Latina replies to her earlier comment and says:
"This is my country. Native Americans are from this country."
"White people are not from this country. So don't serve her. Don't serve her racist a*s."
The non-White woman then raises a fist and says, "Black Lives Matter, bi*ch."
The White woman then confronts the man filming her telling him he has to leave because it doesn't concern him then accuses him of swearing, which the man denies.
The White woman then goes back to confront the couple and asks:
"Where were you born?"
The other woman replies:
"Where were you born, bi*ch? I was born in America, bi*ch."
"Where were your ancestors from? They're not from this country!"
After checking out and paying for their purchases, the couple attempt to leave while the White woman continues to approach them and argue.
The White woman says as they're trying to leave:
"You're going back to Mexico."
The White woman, certain she's gotten the last word first turned to go in the other direction, but the smaller woman replies:
"Bi*ch, you better go back to where you're from."
The White woman quickly turns and runs into the smaller woman's hand and—after putting her finger in the couple's faces and putting hands on them more than once— the White woman tries to claim the smaller woman touched her, which the man filming can be heard refuting.
The White woman then grabs the smaller woman while her back is turned. The much smaller woman turns and slaps the White woman.
The White woman then storms out the other door to the sound of the cameraman telling her she deserved it.
Phoenix 'Karen' Slapped Inside Gas Station After Racist Rant https://t.co/4o01EySLGM
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 7, 2020
On Twitter, people were firmly and emphatically not on Team "Karen."
Karen picked the wrong one to fw 🥴 pic.twitter.com/DCCWz1yEle
— Lil'Daddy 🌹 (@NumbThePain) June 7, 2020
Karen got brave and told a Latin couple to go back where they came from.
Once you put your hands on a Latina, you accepted all the consequences that come with it.#WhatDidTheHandSayToTheFace
pic.twitter.com/3hNQo3mKaP
— Chicano Marine 🇲🇽🇺🇸🧩 (@kingsrush) June 7, 2020
U KNOW WHY THIS IS PERSONAL?
This is my Grandmother.
She never learned English.
If my grandma was in that
same situation...
THAT FUCKING KAREN BITCH
would've attacked her for not speaking english.
WHEN THEY ATTACK ONE POC,
THEY ATTACK US ALL!#BlackLivesMattters#KidVicious😡 pic.twitter.com/iz10m3Ie4V
— kirk acevedo (@kirkacevedo) June 7, 2020
Deserved all 5 fingers
— SassyOrangCreamsicle (@Rio_Devoe) June 8, 2020
Slapped only after grabbing the other woman. Keep your hands to yourself, Karen!
— Stybba2019 (@stybba3019) June 8, 2020
It's unclear if the couple were Hispanic or Native American or both.
Some people assumed the woman was Native while the White woman clearly assumed she was Latina. Either way, it was the color of the couple's skin she reacted to and what she attacked.
Others pointed out the non-sensical nature of the White woman's attacks, given the historical context at play since whether Latina or Native American, both groups are Indigenous to the Americas.
Telling a Native American, to go back to her own country. Appalling. Racial profiling is what's exactly wrong with the world.
— Samantha Sheldon (@SamanthaJaneS) June 7, 2020
Dear Karen's
Next time y'all say go back to your country keep in mind: pic.twitter.com/B3SdtB3BYq
— julio (@txmxjar) June 8, 2020
And, of course, some people were able to get a good laugh or two at "Karen's" expense.
He's been here before 😂 he knew this wasn't gonna end well for Korner Store Karen lmfao! pic.twitter.com/upV6NkFoyS
— Elvis Freshly (@HollywoodJustin) June 7, 2020
Karen's ancestors felt that slap, folks in 4 states over heard it, all her grandchildren will have a tingly left cheek whenever she visits.
good
— Big AG (Auntie Grampa energy) Chaotic Yuss (@rxfracctory) June 7, 2020
I'm just waiting for the day someone tells me to go back to where I came from......I have the bail money in the bank.
— I'vegottobeme (@vegottobeme) June 7, 2020
That slap. INJECT IT INTO MY VEINS !!!! pic.twitter.com/iOQ20ccf8C
— Rooting for everybody black. (@Blkconnoisseur2) June 7, 2020
May this video be forever known as the official response to an aggressive Karen.
— Genuine Cosmic Resistance (@GlennBair) June 7, 2020
Violence is not the answer, she could have handled this situation better. Just kidding, I watched that slap 50 times already.
— Danny (@danzu72) June 7, 2020
As for the White woman's claim that she was the manager?
TMZ reached out to the actual owners of the gas station for details. They confirmed that not only is she not now nor was she ever employed by them in any way, but she is also now banned from all of their locations nationwide.