Latest news with #BlancaLopez
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
'What do you call a sick eagle?': Texas woman accuses Starbucks of making 'offensive' joke, keeps cup as proof
A Hispanic woman living in Texas received her Starbucks drink with this joke. (Photo: CBS News) Blanca Lopez, a Hispanic woman living in Irving, Texas said she has been subjected to an insensitive joke by the barista of a Starbucks store. The incident took place Monday when Lopez visited the Starbucks inside a Target story in Irving with two daughters. She ordered a horchata latte but there was a handwritten message on the lid of her cup. "What do you call a sick eagle?" "Illegal". This was the joke. "And when I read it, I'm like, OK. Was I supposed to laugh or what do I need to do," Lopez told CBS News. Starbucks generally write the customers' name on the cup, but this joke was written on the lid of the cup and Lopez felt particularly targeted. "Why did they call me that? Why are they asking if I have papers or no papers? Why did she write this?" Lopez said. "For me, like, it's offensive." Lopez said she immediately showed the cup to a manager of the store who apologized for the joke. Lopez said she kept the cup with her as proof and still waiting for a formal response from Starbucks. "It's basically saying that we are sick, illegal individuals that do not belong in this country," she said. Starbucks told CBS News Texas that it is investigating the incident and has a zero-tolerance policy for any discriminatory behavior. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo "We want everyone in our stores to be treated with courtesy and respect; we apologize and are actively investigating and addressing this." Lopez said she wants more than a vague apology. "I work as a manager. If someone on my team did something like that, I would fire her immediately," she said. Dallas-based community leader Carlos Quintanilla organized a protest at the store after the incident. The protest was scheduled on June 28, but it was called off as no one showed up.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Starbucks controversy: Huge outrage as Texas woman finds 'Illegal' joke on drink lid
A woman in Texas claimed to have found a message on her Starbucks drink that she believes was a sharp dig at her background. Blanca Lopez said the word 'illegal' commented by Starbucks employee brought up painful memories of friends and family members who had been deported.(Pexels) Blanca Lopez, along with her two daughters, went to the Starbucks inside a Target store in Irving on June 23. She ordered a horchata latte. When the drink came out, one of her daughters noticed something odd written in black marker on the lid, as per New York Post report. The message on the lid read, 'What do you call a sick eagle? Illegal.' Blanca Lopez reacts to offensive comment Lopez, who is Hispanic, said she was hurt and confused by the comment. She told CBS Texas 'It's basically saying that we are sick, illegal individuals that do not belong in this country." She said she didn't know how to respond at first. 'When I read it, I'm like, OK. Was I supposed to laugh or what do I need to do?' '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,' Lopez added. The joke struck a nerve, Lopez said, adding that the word 'illegal' brought up painful memories of friends and family members who had been deported. Also Read: Trump administration accuses judge of defying Supreme Court in deportation fight 84 undocumented immigrants detained Just months ago, in January, federal agents detained 84 undocumented immigrants in a raid across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to a local Fox affiliate. After seeing the message on her drink, Lopez told the store's manager what happened. She said the manager promised to hold a team meeting to prevent anything like this from happening again. But Lopez didn't think that was enough. According to her, the employee who wrote the message should be fired. She said, 'I work as a manager. If someone on my team did something like that, I would fire her immediately.' Meanwhile, local activist Carlos Quintanilla took to Facebook and informed about the protest at the store to confront the employee behind the message. Also Read: Who is Jermaine Thomas? Texas man born on US army base to American soldier deported to Jamaica Nobody appeared for protest The protest was supposed to happen at 10 a.m. on June 28. When no one showed, he canceled the protest but still went inside the store and streamed it live for his followers. A Target worker stopped him and asked him to leave for recording inside. Quintanilla later wrote online, 'It's not easy to organize 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!' Outside the store, Quintanilla spoke to CBS Texas, voicing his frustration with how undocumented immigrants are portrayed in the media. He said, 'It's not just inappropriate, it's disturbing. 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.'
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
Texas Starbucks customer fumes over ‘illegal' joke that barista wrote on her cup: ‘It's offensive'
A Texas Starbucks customer claims she and her culture were the target of an 'offensive' joke written on the lid of her drink by one of the store's employees. Blanca Lopez, who is Hispanic, ordered a horchata latte during a trip with her two daughters to the Starbucks inside the Irving, Texas Target store on June 23, CBS Texas reported. One of Lopez's daughters noticed their mother's cup had a message scribbled in black marker across the clear lid, an abnormality for a company known for writing customer names on the side of its products. 'What do you call a sick eagle?' the cup asked, according to a photo obtained by the outlet. 'Illegal,' the riddle answered. 7 Blanca Lopez stands outside the Irving, Texas Target where she was handed the offensive joke at the Starbucks location inside the store on June 23, 2025. CBS TEXAS/YouTube Lopez was left in shock by the joke written on her order. 'It's basically saying that we are sick, illegal individuals that do not belong in this country,' she told the outlet. Lopez recalled her confusion when she first saw the message, unsure if the note was a light-hearted joke or an attack on her identity. 'When I read it, I'm like, OK. Was I supposed to laugh or what do I need to do?' she told the outlet. 7 'What do you call a sick eagle?' the cup asked. 'Illegal.' CBS TEXAS/YouTube 7 The Starbucks outlet inside the Target in Irving, Texas. CBS TEXAS/YouTube 'Why did they call me that? Why are they asking if I have papers or no papers? Why did she write this?' she added. 'For me, like, it's offensive.' Lopez said the joke hit close to home as she had friends and relatives deported because they were in the country illegally. In January, 84 illegal immigrants were arrested during an ICE raid in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to Fox 4. The outraged customer reported the joke to the store's manager, who told her there would be a team meeting to ensure it didn't happen again, CBS Texas reported. 7 Lopez recalled her confusion when she first saw the message, unsure if the note was a light-hearted joke or an attack at her identity. CBS TEXAS/YouTube 7 Lopez said the joke hit close to home as she had friends and relatives deported because they were in the country illegally. CBS TEXAS/YouTube Lopez called for the unidentified barista to be fired over the comment. 'I work as a manager. If someone on my team did something like that, I would fire her immediately,' she said. Community activists soon heard about the story and began planning a gathering at the store to meet the 'author of the offensive joke,' Dallas-based protester Carlos Quintanilla wrote on Facebook. Quintanilla planned for other protesters to arrive at the shopping center at 10 a.m. on June 28. 7 Carlos Quintanilla speaks out against the message outside the Target on June 27, 2025. CBS TEXAS/YouTube 7 Community activists soon heard about the story and began planning a gathering at the store, to meet the 'author of the offensive joke.' CBS TEXAS/YouTube An hour later, he canceled the gathering after no one showed up. However, he still walked into the Target, livestreaming for his Facebook followers, in search of the Starbucks, but was stopped by a store employee who told him to leave the building because he was recording inside. 'It's not easy to organize 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,' Quintanilla wrote. 'Let's suspend our protest in forgiveness and let's Protest in Silence!' The Post has reached out to Starbucks and Target. Quintanilla defended the illegal immigrants living in his community while outside the store. 'It's not just inappropriate, it's disturbing,' he told CBS Texas. '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.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Starbucks customer left horrified after barista writes 'illegal' joke on her cup
A Starbucks customer was left horrified after a barista allegedly wrote a 'racist joke' on her coffee cup. Blanca Lopez, who is Hispanic, said she visited the Starbucks inside a Target store in Irving, Texas, with her two daughters when she was handed her horchata latte with a shocking message scrawled on the lid. It read: 'What do you call a sick eagle? Illegal.' Lopez, who is an immigrant, said the so-called joke wasn't funny and that it felt like a direct attack. 'And when I read it, I'm like, OK. Was I supposed to laugh or what do I need to do?' she told CBS News. The mother-of-two said the remark hit especially hard given her community's ongoing struggles with immigration enforcement and recent deportations involving people close to her. 'Why did they call me that? Why are they asking if I have papers or no papers? Why did she write this?' Lopez said. 'For me, like, it's offensive.' 'Basically saying we don't belong.' Horrified, she immediately showed the cup to a store manager. 'I showed them the cup and they said, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I apologize and I'm going to talk to the team so they don't do it again,"' she recalled. But days later, Lopez said she is still waiting for a formal apology from Starbucks - and she's held onto the cup as proof. 'It's basically saying that we are sick, illegal individuals that do not belong in this country,' she said. Hispanic community leader Carlos Quintanilla, who runs immigrant rights group Accion America, has organized a protest outside the store set for Saturday, June 28. 'It's not just inappropriate, it's disturbing,' Quintanilla told CBS. '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.' Both Starbucks and Target say they're investigating. 'We want everyone in our stores to be treated with courtesy and respect; we apologize and are actively investigating and addressing this,' Target said in a statement. Starbucks added it has a 'zero-tolerance policy for discriminatory behavior' but has not confirmed if the employee responsible will face disciplinary action. Lopez, meanwhile, said that an apology isn't enough. 'I work as a manager. If someone on my team did something like that, I would fire her immediately,' she said - adding that jokes like this have a lasting impact on vulnerable immigrant families. 'Words matter,' she said. This comes as President Donald Trump ramps up deportation efforts during his second term, reviving and expanding hardline policies from his first presidency. The administration's new initiative, Project Homecoming, offers undocumented immigrants $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport - a program officials say will save money and streamline removals. The first flight carrying 64 migrants left earlier this month. 'This is about restoring order,' Trump said at a May 2025 rally in Phoenix. 'If you're here illegally, it's time to go home - and we'll even pay for it.' However, those who refuse to leave may face wage garnishment, property seizures, and permanent reentry bans, according to the Financial Times. In addition, Trump has proposed hiring 20,000 new ICE officers, tripling the size of the agency in what he calls the largest deportation operation in American history.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
"It's Offensive": Starbucks joke leaves Hispanic customer feeling targeted
A Hispanic woman in Irving says a joke written on her Starbucks cup left her feeling targeted and unwelcome, raising concerns about cultural sensitivity and discrimination. Blanca Lopez visited the Starbucks inside a Target store in Irving on Monday with her two daughters, who had received Starbucks gift cards from school. After ordering her horchata latte, her daughters noticed a handwritten message on the lid of her cup. The message read: "What do you call a sick eagle? Illegal." Lopez said she was stunned. "And when I read it, I'm like, OK. Was I supposed to laugh or what do I need to do?" she said. Personal experience makes it painful Lopez, a Hispanic immigrant, said the joke felt especially hurtful given her recent experiences with people close to her being deported. "Why did they call me that? Why are they asking if I have papers or no papers? Why did she write this?" Lopez said. "For me, like, it's offensive." She said she immediately showed the cup to a manager. "I showed them the cup and they said, 'Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I apologize and I'm going to talk to the team so they don't do it again,'" she recalled. CBS News Texas Waiting for a response Lopez said she kept the cup as proof and is still waiting for a formal response from Starbucks. "It's basically saying that we are sick, illegal individuals that do not belong in this country," she said. Community response and protest planned Carlos Quintanilla, a Hispanic immigrant advocate with Accion America, has organized a protest outside the store for Saturday morning. "It's not just inappropriate, it's disturbing," Quintanilla said. "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." Starbucks responds, Target silent Starbucks told CBS News Texas it is investigating the incident and has a zero-tolerance policy for discriminatory behavior. However, the company did not say what actions, if any, would be taken. Target did not respond to a request for comment. Lopez said she wants more than an apology. "I work as a manager. If someone on my team did something like that, I would fire her immediately," she said. She added that words matter, especially in immigrant communities already feeling vulnerable.
