Gisele Barreto Fetterman Wiki – Gisele Barreto Fetterman Biography
Gisele Barreto Fetterman, wife of Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, was called by a racial slur at a grocery store in an encounter she caught on video.
She typically only travels outside the house with an escort of state troopers, she told The Philadelphia Inquirer. But on Sunday, October 11, she realized she might miss out on a sale of golden kiwis at her neighborhood grocer, and decided to venture out for a quick trip on her own.
Gisele Barreto is a Brazilian-American activist, philanthropist, and non-profit executive. She is a co-founder of 412 Food Rescue, a non-profit organization focused on eliminating food insecurity in the United States. As the wife of Lieutenant-Governor John Fetterman, Fetterman is the current Second Lady of Pennsylvania. A former undocumented immigrant, she is an outspoken supporter for immigration reform in the United States.
A woman recognized her as Fetterman’s wife while she waited in line. She began hurling insults at her, including racial slurs, Barreto Fetterman told The Washington Post.
She managed to film a piece of the encounter, which continued after she got into her car in the parking lot. You can watch the video here or below. Be forewarned that the video may be upsetting to some viewers.
Fetterman did not speak English when she arrived in the United States, and enrolled in an English as a second language program at her school in Queens. The family later moved to Newark, New Jersey. She studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Fetterman received her green card in 2004 and became a citizen of the United States in 2009.
As First Lady of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Fetterman founded The Braddock Free Store, a non-profit organization that provides local lower-income families with toys, diapers, baby formula, clothing, household items, and furniture. The organization serves close to 1,600 families per month. She started the Braddock Bench Project, focused on adding benches to local bus stops.
In 2015 Fetterman co-founded 412 Food Rescue, a non-profit organization focused on eliminating food insecurity and providing nutritional resources to families in need. The organization redistributed 2.5 million pounds of food in its first two years. She launched the Positive Parking Signs Project, a local initiative installing signs around local communities with sayings like “Follow Your Dreams” and “More Hugs Needed”. Fetterman founded For Good PGH, a non-profit that advocates for diversity and inclusion. She also launched The Hollander Project, a business incubator for women entrepreneurs.
Gisele Barreto Fetterman Age
Gisele Barreto Fetterman’s age is unknown.
Gisele Barreto Fetterman & John Fetterman
In 2007, Fetterman met John Fetterman, then the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, after writing him a letter inquiring about the town’s role in the steel industry. They were married the following year. The Fettermans have three children and live in a renovated loft in a former car dealership building, built in 1920, in Braddock.
Fetterman is close friends with Kim Kardashian. She endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
Fetterman was the subject of an online controversy in February 2020 after her husband posted a picture to social media showing her in a Rio Carnival costume.
In August 2020, she spoke publicly about her use of medical marijuana to treat chronic back pain.
Family
Gisele Barreto Fetterman was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When she was seven years old, Fetterman came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant with her mother and younger brother, taking up residence in a one-room apartment in New York City. They fled Brazil due to violent crime in their community. In New York the family lived in poverty, and furnished their apartment with furniture they found on the street. Fetterman said that her family often depended on food banks and thrift stores. Her mother, who had a Doctor of Philosophy degree from a Brazilian university and had worked as a nutritionist and educator, took jobs cleaning hotels and houses, and was denied pay often due to her status as an undocumented immigrant.
Pennsylvania Officials Spoke Out Against the Racist Encounter
I am *deeply* grateful to the Governor for his support of @giselefetterman
The outpouring of love + support from Pennsylvania’s leadership + citizens has been truly humbling.
Gisele + I love this country and our commonwealth deeply.
Thank you PA, for standing with Gisele. ? https://t.co/Ekv2WLll9r
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) October 12, 2020
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf called the incident “shameful and unacceptable” in a statement on Twitter.
“The ethnic intimidation and hate speech spewed at the Second Lady of Pennsylvania is shameful and unacceptable,” he said. “Racism is always unacceptable and unworthy of Pennsylvanians. No one should ever be made to feel unwelcome in our commonwealth because of their race or ethnicity.”
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman thanked the governor and Pennsylvania residents for their support.
“I am *deeply* grateful to the Governor for his support of @giselefetterman,” Fetterman wrote. “The outpouring of love + support from Pennsylvania’s leadership + citizens has been truly humbling. Gisele + I love this country and our commonwealth deeply. Thank you PA, for standing with Gisele.”
Today at the grocery store, PA’s Second Lady @giselefetterman was subjected to a racial slur and taunts. As she said: “this hatred is taught.” It’s on us to teach our children kindness, acceptance and inclusion, and condemn hate whenever and wherever we see it.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) October 12, 2020
Sen. Robert Casey Jr., D-Pa., also spoke out against the incident on Twitter.
“Today at the grocery store, PA’s Second Lady @giselefetterman was subjected to a racial slur and taunts. As she said: ‘this hatred is taught.’ It’s on us to teach our children kindness, acceptance and inclusion, and condemn hate whenever and wherever we see it,” he said.
Investigation Report
*TRIGGER WARNING* I love love love this country but we are so deeply divided. I ran to the local grocery store and was met by and verbally assaulted by this woman who repeatedly told me I do not belong here. The confrontation continued into the parking lot where I was able to pic.twitter.com/kzSoxCVJ2x
— Gisele Barreto Fetterman (@giselefetterman) October 11, 2020
Barreto Fetterman told the Post the encounter with the woman started when she was recognized as Fetterman’s wife as she waited in line.
“She said, ‘There’s that [n-word] that Fetterman married. You don’t belong here. No one wants you here. You don’t belong here,” she recalled in an interview with the Post.
Barreto Fetterman was born in Brazil and lived in the United States as an undocumented immigrant.
In the 2-second video, the woman pulls down her mask and says, “You’re a n*****.”
Barreto Fetterman shared the video on Twitter the night of October 12.
“*TRIGGER WARNING,*” she wrote on Twitter. “I love love love this country but we are so deeply divided. I ran to the local grocery store and was met by and verbally assaulted by this woman who repeatedly told me I do not belong here. The confrontation continued into the parking lot where I was able to finally capture it after the crying winded down. This behavior and this hatred is taught. If you know her, if she is your neighbor or relative, please, please teach her love instead.”
State police are investigating the incident, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.