A Hispanic customer in Irving, Texas, is demanding action after a Starbucks barista wrote the word “illegal” on her drink lid. Blanca Lopez ordered a horchata latte at a Starbucks inside a Target store on June 23rd. Her daughter noticed the unusual message scrawled on the clear lid. Lopez was shocked and offended, interpreting it as a slur suggesting she was a sick, undocumented person who didn’t belong in the country. She questioned why the barista wrote it, telling CBS Texas the term hit close to home due to friends and relatives deported for being undocumented.
“What do you call a sick eagle?” the cup asked, according to a photo of it, as reported by CBS Texas.
“Illegal,” the riddle answered.
Hispanic woman calls word scrawled on cup offensive, demands barista fired
Lopez reported the incident to the store manager, who promised a team meeting to prevent recurrence. However, Lopez insisted the unidentified barista should be fired immediately, stating she would take that action if managing the team. The story gained traction, prompting Dallas activist Carlos Quintanilla to organize a June 28th protest at the store to confront the barista.
“It’s not just inappropriate, it’s disturbing,” Carlos was quoted as telling 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.”
Planned protest fizzles as activist seeks accountability for “disturbing” incident
However, Quintanilla canceled the gathering an hour after its planned start when no other protesters showed up. He later entered the Target alone, livestreaming, but was asked to leave by an employee for recording inside the store. Quintanilla defended the undocumented community, calling the lid message “not just inappropriate, it’s disturbing,” especially amid media narratives linking “illegal” status with criminality. He announced the protest’s suspension “in forgiveness,” urging a “Protest in Silence!” instead.
Quintanilla noted that both Starbucks and Target had responded to demands for clarification about the offensive writing. Lopez had expressed deep personal offense, linking the word to painful experiences with deportations.