She stood up to a CEO for a racist outburst. The internet rewarded her with $70,000 in tips.

At Lucia Restaurant in Carmel Valley, California, a waitress is being celebrated as an "everyday hero" after stepping in to defend an Asian American family from a racist verbal attack. Jennica Cochran courageously threw out a customer who launched into a hateful rant, an incident that was captured on video and quickly went viral.

Jordan Chan, a member of the targeted family, spoke to KION about the disturbing incident, which occurred while they were celebrating her aunt's birthday on July 4th, 2019.

“We were singing Happy Birthday. We were just taking pictures and goofing around with each other, and then all of a sudden, the man, Michael Lofthouse, starts making really loud racist remarks at us,” Chan said.

Chan immediately started recording the incident.

“Trump’s gonna f*** you,” the man can be heard saying in the video. “You f****** need to leave! You f****** Asian piece of s***!”

Shortly after the outburst, Cochran intervened decisively, confronting the man directly:

“No, you do not talk to our guests like that! Get out of here!”

The man was later identified as Michael Lofthouse, a British tech CEO. Following the widespread backlash, he stepped down from his role at Solid8, as reported by CNN.

Chan expressed her shock to KPIX 5, emphasizing:

“I’ve dealt with racism before but never on that scale. Never on the level where somebody completely unprovoked felt obligated to voice their hatred for absolutely no reason.”

Speaking with ABC7, Cochran explained why she felt compelled to act:

"To hear the emotion coming out of my voice, to see my mannerisms, it was unbelievable it was just something that came over me and I just did what needed to be done," Cochran said. "I did what anybody else should or would do in that situation."

"I felt very protective of them. You don't come in here and say those kinds of things to people. Especially people feel so raw coming out of quarantine. Most of these people this is the first time that they've been out to dinner and then you have someone attacking them it was just no, no, I don't have time for this."

"I'm not a mother, but I felt almost maternal," she added. "Right, like this is my family and I will take care of them and I will do whatever I can to protect these people. To have someone hate you just because of the way that you look, that's beyond me. I don't understand it."

She concluded firmly:

"It's not something that I will condone ever again, being silent."

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The video quickly went viral, prompting an outpouring of support for Cochran. By the end of 2019, three GoFundMe campaigns raised over $90,000 in tips as a gesture of appreciation.

One GoFundMe campaign statement explained the sentiment:

"As much as it’s satisfying to drag the man who who did this to that family, it’s even more satisfying when we lift up the people who stand up to defend those who are on the receiving end of such racism," the campaign explains. "In this case, that person is this server/yoga instructor Gennica Cochran. She spoke out with a passionate fury against this man, possibly putting her job on the line amidst an economic crisis in order to fight back against just a taste of the racism that is running rampant in our country."

Supportive comments flooded in along with donations:

"The audacity of a white British guy to tell anyone in the US that they don’t belong in this country. Girl, the way you leapt to that family’s defense was amazing! You deserve the fattest tip ever."

Another donor emphasized:

“You did not just defend an Asian family from a racist. You defended the entire Asian community, who has been subject to racism like I have never experienced before. Thank you."

One supporter summed up Cochran's courage perfectly:

“It is people like you that can help improve the world with such everyday acts of heroism.”

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Michael Lofthouse later issued an apology for his actions:

“My behavior in the video is appalling. This was clearly a moment where I lost control and made incredibly hurtful and divisive comments."

"I would like to deeply apologize to the Chan family. I can only imagine the stress and pain they feel. I was taught to respect people of all race and I will take the time to reflect on my actions and work to better understand the inequality that so many of those around me face every day.”

Democratic California Assemblymember Evan Low addressed the broader issue of increasing racism towards Asian Americans, stating to KPIX 5:

“What’s important is to call it for what it is. This is racism. And there’s a type of hate crime that’s too often associated with this. And there’s a fine line between that and free speech.”

Asian Law Alliance CEO Richard Konda also spoke about the climate of racism encouraged by political rhetoric:

“It was really disturbing that this would happen. Unfortunately, [President Trump] has made it a hobby of using terms like ‘Kung Flu’ or ‘Chinese Virus’ or ‘Wuhan Virus.'”

Through her brave action, Cochran proved once again that ordinary people can become extraordinary heroes simply by standing up for what's right.