Girls, 9 and 10, say they were racially profiled and humiliated at store in Chicago's Chinatown
Two Chicago mothers say their daughters were racially profiled while shopping in Chinatown.
For 10-year-old Mailynn Hall and 9-year-old Addison Wleh, who are Black, a trip to Chinatown had always been a monthly fun-filled experience. AJ Housewares & Gifts, 2155 S. China Pl., is a place one of their families has shopped many times.
"My dad, my mom, my grandma — everybody has bought something from that store," said Addison. "My dad even bought a hat and a bowl from there."
But a recent visit to AJ Housewares & Gifts on Jan.2 left the girls feeling anything but joy.
"They started like following us around the store," said Mailynn.
An employee then accused Mailynn of shoplifting a keychain.
"I had like picked up one that I really liked, but then I put it back because I didn't really want it anymore, and I had just put it on like a random shelf because I didn't know where to put it," Mailynn said. "She was like, 'Empty your pockets out! Empty your pockets out!' and I showed her multiple times — because I had worn one of my mini bags that day — so I showed her inside my purse. I showed her inside my pockets."
Addison was also asked by the store employee to empty her pockets.
"She put her hand on Mailynn's back, and then it looked like she was guiding out the store on the cameras, but she actually was pushing her," Addison said.
Mailynn said the store employee was trying to push her out.
"She had pushed me, and then she closed the door and locked it, but also, when we were getting—like they made us empty out our pockets and stuff," Mailynn said.
She said a store also took a photo of her on his phone.
"It made us feel really like sad, and just like we weren't, like, we didn't matter in that moment type of stuff, because we are human too, and I feel they didn't think. They just thought of our skin colors," said Mailynn. "It wasn't anybody in there that was the same color as me."
Addison's mother, Ashli Fuller, was right outside the store when the girls left sobbing uncontrollably.
"I thought someone hit them, or I just didn't understand what was going on," said Fuller. "After I figured out what happened, I contacted the police."
A report was filed for simple battery. No arrest was made.
Soon after, Mailynn's mother arrived.
"The bigger picture is that they were racially profiled. They were discriminated against," said Mailynn's mother, Jhaviance Etheridge. "You placed your hands on my child. That is the bigger issue."
Both mothers reached out to Ald. Nicole Lee (11th).
"My heart just sank that it happened to them at all," Lee said, "and you know, my immediate reaction was what can we do to address this?"
Lee said she wants to work with other community leaders to create a training program for business owners to stop racial profiling.
"There's no place for that in the 11th Ward or anywhere in the city of Chicago, and we want to make sure that people are educated about that," said Lee.
Lee said as for AJ Housewares & Gifts, "I think they acknowledge the mistake that they made at the end of the day, and I think they feel badly that this was the experience that they had — and they're keen on participating in the training."
The store echoed that sentiment in a statement that read in part: "We deeply regret the harm caused by this incident…. We take full responsibility. We will do better."
Meanwhile, Ald. Lee wanted to right a wrong and show the girls that they did matter — and that Chinatown, cares about them. Lee had the girls at the helm of the 11th Ward float at the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown.
"That was amazing!" said Addison.
"It was really fun," said Mailynn.
Both Addison and Mailynn said this was all a teachable moment for business owners, and something good can come out of what they've endured.
"Nice to know that somebody is going to make a program for business owners to not profile people," Addison said.
"I feel like now I'm protected, and I feel like justice has been served for us and other people that have went through the same thing," said Mailynn, "and I really hope this never happens again, because this is a horrifying experience."
CBS News Chicago asked the girls if their experience will stop them from visiting Chinatown in the future. They said it will not, and they will continue to enjoy all the community has to offer.
