Is Amarillo’s New Restaurant Derogatory To Mexican-Americans?
Author's note: This post is my opinion and does not reflect the views of Townsquare Media.
When I heard of this place opening on Coulter I first thought it was a joke. A popular Amarillo Facebook restaurant page made me aware of the Burrito joint that is opening soon. A Reddit user also posted it on the Texas Reddit page and has gotten quite a bit of attention. I drove by there to check it out to try to get some information about it but there was no one or any information about the new Mexican themed restaurant.
That is the problem, the “Mexican theme.” Clearly the logo and the name are derogatory epithets used to describe people of Mexican descent. Two years ago a Hispanic man ordered a coffee at a Starbucks in California, the man whose first name was Pedro was served the coffee and written on the cup was the word “beaner”. The customer complained to Starbucks and was offered a fifty dollar gift card for his insensitive experience. Soon thereafter Starbucks nationwide shut down its entire chain of restaurants for mandatory anti-bias training, due to that and other racially insensitive occurrences.
Even the New York Times used the word as an answer in their January 1, 2019, crossword puzzle, the newspaper later printed an apology.
The use of racially offensive names and images is nothing new. A nationwide chain of family restaurants named Sambo’s which depicted a dark-skinned boy, tigers, and a jeweled Indian man drew criticism throughout the 1970s and eventually shut down in 1982.
Being a Mexican-American I have been the victim of racial slurs. Racial bias is all around us and we should not promote it or even accept it. Mexican-Americans make up nearly two-thirds of the largest minority group in the nation. The word “beaner” is considered by far one of the most prominent anti-Mexican slurs.
Would you accept a store that sold swimsuits called Wetbacks? I think not. Again, this is just my opinion and I want to know your thoughts.