Featured Image Credit: YouTube/CBS TEXAS
Topics: Immigration, Starbucks, US News
Dan Seddon
A Starbucks customer claims to have been targeted by a cruel joke on her coffee cup by a member of staff, leading to questions over anti-immigration policies in the US.
Just last week, Blanca Lopez - who is Hispanic - entered the franchise outlet inside a Target store in Irving, Texas alongside her two daughters, ordering a horchata latte.
But it quickly became apparent that Blanca's plastic cup had been graffitied with a message by a Starbucks employee. This wasn't totally out of the ordinary though, as the coffee servers typically like to write down customer names on the side of their orders.
But on this occasion, the joke read: "What do you call a sick eagle? Illegal."
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Appearing in a televised CBS Texas report, the enraged mum-of-two pointed out: "It's basically saying that we are sick, illegal individuals that do not belong in this country."
Blanca admitted to being initially more baffled than offended by the message - unsure of whether it was a genuine assault on her heritage.
"When I read it I'm like, OK. Was I supposed to laugh or what do I need to do?" she questioned. "Why did they call me that? Why are they asking if I have papers or no papers? Why did she write this? For me, like, it's offensive."
Aside from the obviously disgraceful undertone, this joke also came at a time of personal heartbreak for Bianca, who'd lost close family and friends over deportation.
She eventually decided to report the incident to the manager of the Starbucks branch, who promised that a team meeting would go ahead to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.
"I work as a manager. If someone on my team did something like that, I would fire her immediately," noted Bianca. She's since kept hold of the evidence until some form of resolution materialises.
UNILAD has reached out to Starbucks for comment.
In light of the Starbucks controversy, local activists put together plans for a gathering at this particular coffee shop in order to confront the 'author of the offensive joke'.
Dallas protestor Carlos Quintanilla published his intentions via Facebook, inviting likeminded justice-seekers to meet outside the shopping center on the morning of Saturday, 28 June.
The protest was ultimately cancelled when nobody turned up at the site, yet Carlos still took it upon himself to stroll into Target while live-streaming on Facebook.
He was hooked by staff and kicked out due to recording inside the premises.
He later wrote on social media: "It’s not easy to organise our community to raise their voice, I understand that protesting is already very difficult but acting is quite simple.
"Even Starbucks and Target have responded to our insistence to clarify their position on the offensive 'ILLEGAL' advertisement. Let’s suspend our protest in forgiveness and let’s Protest in Silence!"
Carlos went on to defend illegal immigrants during an interview on CBS Texas.
"It's not just inappropriate, it's disturbing," he commented. "Especially right now when the narrative being thrown out in mass media is if you're illegal, you're a criminal, and if you're a criminal, you're illegal."