Skip to Content
Featured

This Week In Starbucks Racism ~ The Case of the ‘Beaner’ Cup in La Cañada

[dropcap size=big]S[/dropcap]tarbucks has issued another apology for racist behavior by its employees, this time here in Southern California, where a man named Pedro who stopped at a Starbucks store in La Cañada Flintridge got to work on Tuesday morning and realized the word “Beaner” had been placed on his order as his customer name.

Starbucks confirmed it apologized to the man, but as of Thursday, there were no signs that the employee responsible had been fired or formally disciplined.

Pedro, who did not want to release his last name to media, said the Starbucks location offered him a $50 gift card as a form of an apology, but he declined as he saw it as an “insult overall” according to NBC4.

RELATED: New L.A. Soccer Team Already Dealing With Fans Chanting 'P*to' at Inaugural Game — Fun or Offensive?

“Beaner” is considered a racial slur aimed at Latinos, for whom beans are a dietary staple. (Urban Dictionary associates the term with "Mexicans.") Pedro told Telemundo that he was called by his name when the order was ready, so he did not believe the slur on his cup was a mistake. A coworker tweeted to Starbucks on Pedro’s behalf after the incident.

“This is not the welcoming experience we aim to provide, and we have reached out to this customer to apologize and make this right,” a representative named Ryan responded via Twitter.

His co-worker has since deleted the tweet to Starbucks, saying she deleted because they were already talking to Starbucks and confined that it was “NOT fake.”

The incident happened just days before Starbucks is preparing to shutdown thousands of stores nationwide on May 29 to train its employees on racial bias, after two black male entrepreneurs were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks while waiting for a business meeting.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

A Guide to Voter Guides in L.A. County

Remember, you have until 8 p.m. on Election Day (Tuesday, November 5th) to vote. L.A. County has reasonably accessible voting infrastructure that allows you to return your ballot by mail, hundreds of ballot drop-boxes stationed around the county, as well as the ability to vote in-person at a vote center.

November 5, 2024

Nine L.A. Bars To Eat and Drink Your Blues Away While Watching the Election

These are the watering holes for anyone looking to hang on every minute of the election madness to come, leaning on the shoulders of similarly minded strangers or raging at people you don't agree with.

November 5, 2024

Mountains Of Barrel-Smoked, Colombian Barbecue At Lake Balboa

Fat links of chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), crisp-skinned chicharrón (skin-on pork belly), tri-tip, and pork ribs, along with hand-shaped arepas and wedges of pineapple, plantain, and salted potatoes, await you in the Valley.

November 4, 2024

Empowering Latino Entrepreneurs: Four L.A. Dispensaries Partnering With Don Perico Cannabis For Retail Expansion

it’s rarely easy to know which brands and products you can depend on that will also bolster underserved individuals and their communities. Don Perico brings together great cannabis products and a mission for Mexican-American representation in the world of cannabis.

November 4, 2024

Photos: Over 100,000 Dodger Fans Flock To DTLA To Honor the 2024 World Series Champs

Trees were climbed and vehicles mounted in L.A.'s mass attempt to eke out a glimpse of their champions. The team came home to the hero's welcome they deserve, on a day of even greater significance for every L.A. baseball fan, given it's also the birthday of Fernando Valenzuela.

See all posts