When bitter coffee is not the worst thing they serve you
Ah, Starbucks, that place where you pay $7 for a coffee with an unpronounceable name and, as a gift, you receive a dose of discrimination. Blanca López, a customer in Texas, ordered an innocent café con leche horchata (yes, that drink that sounds like a vacation but tastes like immigration bureaucracy) and, surprise, its cover came with a “bonus track”: a joke that would make even the most failed comedian blush.
“What do you call a sick eagle? Illegal”
Because nothing says “welcome to the United States” like a play on words that reduces your identity to an immigration status. López, who entered the premises with her daughters (because she clearly needed witnesses so that no one would think she had invented it), declared between incredulous and offended: “Basically it says that we are sick and illegal people who do not belong to this country.” Wow, how insightful. Who knew that a marker scribble could so elegantly summarize the anti-immigrant rhetoric of recent years.
López’s reaction was as understandable as it was tragicomic: “Did I have to laugh or what?” Of course, because when you are humiliated in public, the most logical thing to do is ask yourself if protocol requires a nervous giggle or a crying fit. Starbucks, always innovating in customer experiences.
The manager promises “a team meeting,” because that solves everything
Faced with the scandal, the manager of the store (located inside a Target, so that the irony is complete) offered what every victim of discrimination longs for: a team meeting. Yes, that magic formula where someone says “not okay” and everyone nods while checking their phones. López, less conformist, demanded the dismissal of the creative employee. “If anyone on my team did something like that, I would fire them immediately,” he declared. Someone should tell him that at Starbucks they prefer “collective learning” over consequences.
Meanwhile, activists organized a protest… which ended up being as crowded as a flute concert in a stadium. Carlos Quintanilla, the organizer, tried to save face with a “let’s protest in silence” on Facebook. Because nothing scares capitalism more than a group of quiet people at home. Of course, Quintanilla was right to describe the message as “disturbing”, especially in a context where political rhetoric equates “illegal” with “criminal”. But don’t worry, a corporate apology on Twitter will surely fix everything.
Moral? If you go to Starbucks, check your cup. Lest they serve you racism instead of foam.
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