Anna Marie Driscoll Rancho Mirage California woman identified as white Karen who harasses landscape mower, Juan Andrade demanding to see his immigration papers.
A white California woman has been captured on film harassing a landscaper mowing a complex’s lawn after demanding to see his ‘papers’ along with condescendingly blowing a kiss at him.
Footage shared to social media by the harassed man shows Juan Andrade, of Rancho Mirage, being racially profiled by a woman demanding to see his immigration papers. Social media users have since identified the woman as 55 year old local, Anna Marie Driscoll, residing at subsidized affordable housing outlet, Parkview Villas.
The video begins with the woman blowing a haughty kiss at Andrade, who is in the midst of mowing the lawn at the Parkview Villas apartment complex.
The woman approaches Andrade, who he asks several times to move out of the way because he’s working and using large gardening tools.
‘Can you step away? You’re too close to me right now,’ says Andrade, adding that the woman is not wearing a face mask amid the ongoing coronavirus.
Another “very fine person,” this time in Rancho Mirage, Ca. This #racistkaren approached a landscaper at the Parkview Villas apt. complex n demanded, he show her his papers. It would be a shame if she was identified.#RanchoMirage #TrumpsAmericapic.twitter.com/E5GRzTYukG
— AJ (@keepgrinding914) July 19, 2020
‘Can you show me your papers,’ the woman asks Andrade.
Andrade once again asks the woman to move away, only for the woman, since dubbed Karen– a pejorative description used to describe individuals motivated by white privilege, insisting that she wants to see the Hispanic man’s papers.
NBC Palm Springs reports that the woman had made previous racist remarks at Andrade, including three months ago when she told him to ‘go back to his country.’
Unknown to the woman, Andrade has worked for his landscaping company in California for 10 years.
‘It’s usually been about the work, but never to instigate or harass me,’ he told the news media outlet.
Andrade says he was mowing the apartment complex’s lawn when the woman approached him and refused to leave him alone.
‘When she was harassing me, I started to feel mad because I was just doing my work,’ he said.
Me and @pimpdaddysoph basically teamed up to find the racist lady in rancho mirage.we stayed up until 4 AM last night and WE FOUND HER! Please share . I want her to be embarrassed to step foot outside her door. pic.twitter.com/0OhMBV088t
— Jaz (@Jazmin_Tapiaa) July 17, 2020
Seeking to intimidate and create objects out of human beings
Immigration lawyers who have seen the video said some people think they’re acting as makeshift police, but their actions are simply racist.
‘Unless you are law enforcement, but aside from that, they are using that conversation as just another way to intimidate and create objects out of human beings who appear to be different from them,’ Megan Beaman Jacinto, a immigration attorney from Coachella Valley, told NBC Palm Springs.
Andrade said he reported the incident to his employer and will avoid the area in the future.
‘Based on what I have seen from her,’ said Andrade, ‘I think she thinks she didn’t do anything wrong. She believes she’s in the right, so I don’t think she’ll ever apologize.’
City Attorney Steve Quintanilla, along with Housing Authority’s Manager Marcus Aleman, announced planning to launch an investigation into the incident.
They said in a statement; ‘The Rancho Mirage Housing Authority has a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and the harassment of any one, including other tenants, visitors, guests and contracted vendors conducting work at its affordable senior housing properties.’
Additionally, several neighbors in the area have condemned the woman’s actions after viewing the video.
‘We don’t need people like that living here,’ said resident Evelyn DeMaria.
‘We live around the neighborhood and we are supposed to be more together and more friendly.’
Amalia Aztlan, a local and President for Democratic Women of the Coachella Valley, said: ‘Even when you are working, you have certain rights and the lack of respect to our community is immense.’
