A Massachusetts family wants to identify and press charges against a woman who they say subjected them to a racist rant. The incident happened on a United Airlines shuttle bus at Los Angeles International Airport. It occurred in late November 2024, was captured on video by professional photographer Pervez Taufiq, and has since gone viral.
Pervez Taufiq, his wife Nicole, and their three children were returning from a trip to Mexico when they encountered the unidentified woman. The incident began on their flight to California, where the woman allegedly harassed their 11-year-old son, questioning him about his ethnicity.
Racist Rant Escalates On The Airport Bus
The situation escalated dramatically once the passengers boarded the airport shuttle bus. According to Taufiq, the woman began yelling at his 4-year-old son. “She’s yelling at him, the 4-year-old, and says ‘shut up, just shut up,'” he told WBZ. “And I snapped, and I said, ‘Don’t you ever speak to my son that way. You have no right.'”
When Taufiq intervened, the woman launched into a racist tirade. She called the family “tandoori” and “stinky” and insisted they were not American despite Taufiq’s assertions to the contrary. Taufiq, whose work has been featured in publications like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, used his professional instincts to document the incident.
The video he captured shows the woman making offensive gestures and hurling racist insults at the family. “Your family is from India. You have no respect,” the woman can be heard saying in the clip, which Taufiq later shared on his Instagram account.
Community Response And Support
The video quickly gained traction online. Thousands of viewers expressed support for the Taufiq family and condemned the woman’s actions. Notable figures, including journalist Katie Couric, have commented on the post and shared it on social media platforms, amplifying the family’s call for justice.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Taufiq family wants to hold the woman accountable for her actions. “I certainly would love it if someone found her, and we could press charges against her,” Pervez Taufiq told WBZ-TV. He stressed the importance of sending a clear message that such behavior is unacceptable in a diverse society.
