What started out as a simple, friendly, multi-cultural marketing ploy has drawn the ire of pizza purists all across the nation, as a medium-sized pie chain has stepped right in the middle of the somewhat hostile immigrant debate. Dallas-based Pizza Patron, which claims a 60% Hispanic customer base, last week announced that it would begin accepting Mexican pesos at its 59 restaurants. This seems fine enough: Texas-area Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s (NYSE:WMT) and other businesses along the Rio Grande have been accepting the Mexican currency for years, while up north a similar arrangement exists with Canadian dollars. But Pizza Patron claims locations in Colorado, Arizona and Nevada -- which, last checked, is not exactly peso country -- would accept the foreign currency as well.
"This is the United States of America, not the United States of Mexico," one critical e-mail read. "Quit catering to the damn illegal Mexicans," demanded another.
Says Patricia Perez, a partner at Valencia, Perez & Echeveste in Los Angeles, "Right now there's a lot of anti-immigrant rhetoric going around that could make them a lightning rod."
Pizza Patron founder Antonio Swad (who, incidentally, is Italian/Lebanese) says the promotion will run through the end of February and then be re-evaluated. At which point they may, or may not, accept chocolate coins.
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Reader Comments (Page 7 of 7)
2-28-2007 @ 11:44AM
Meezy said...
Wow what a bunch of redneck ignorant assholes... business is business... money is money... what does it matter... America IS a country of immigrants the only REAL americans are the natives and wow wasnt their land taken from them too? so all these people talking trash about how Americans are becoming a minority and blah blah blah think about it you ALWAYS were the minority because unless your AMERICAN INDIAN your not an American they were here first and they are the REAL AMERICANS not these useless rednecks that goto war trying to kill some poor innocent people in the middle east because some other redneck said that "they are bad" use your brains thats what they were given to you for dont just believe what every other redneck says around you... and believe it for true... and excuse my use of redneck i just dont know how else to describe you blundering fools with pea sized brains that cant think for themselves...
5-13-2007 @ 10:05AM
Honest Abe said...
The owner of this place is Italian and Lebenese!!!! Damn these illegals supporting each other. Dont they know that we as WHITE AMERICANS dont expect them to come here and buy buisnesses and better themselves. Their only job is to come here pick our fruits, cook our food, babysit our kids, maintain our plantations landscape, build our homes, fix our cars, and any other meaneal crap we think of. I dont know about you but the next time I see an italian-lebenese person im gonna punch him square in his immigrant mouth.
3-06-2007 @ 12:48AM
Michael M. said...
What everyone is missing is that Pizza Patron is charging the peso customer 9% more than the dollar toting customer (12 pesos to the dollar vs 11 pesos, which is the current exchage rate). Why would Pizza Patron want to change? This is a windfall profit. You decide whether this is capitalism at its best or discrimination at its worst, or both.
3-06-2007 @ 4:16AM
Diana said...
Over populating the country? why so ignorant?
All of these angry people don't know what they're talking about. Why are u guys attacking ,in particular, mexicans. The pizza chain can do whatever they want, it doesn't affect anybody, you guys can still pay with u.s. money. You guys don't own the store, if u don't like it, then buy pizza somewhere else and keep ur negative thoughts to youself. I'm ashamed to be an american citizen. where's the humility and humbleness. GREEDY GREEDY "americans". Silly-silly people, to not say worse.
This is nobody's land, When we die we take nothing. Get a life or end it and let people live their lives with out criticism. Nobody is perfect and this world will never be perfect.
3-06-2007 @ 1:02PM
Nicholas said...
First of all Immigrants are not just MEXICANS there chinese,Italian,Japanese,German,etc.. I think media has greatly impacted and portrayed the words "illegal aliens" to just mexicans or "Immigrants" this is wrong! I think the term "Illegal Aliens" is a term that needs to be removed! If we all look back in our history books the Indians ruled this land before Americans and Mexicans were here. Look it up! Also, yes for those of you who haven't been able to get out of your city. There are places on the texas border that have been accepting pesos for years now! And at the northern borders that have been accepting canadian money. What I beleive what causes hatred in these conversations is the lack of information and the sheltering of one's environment for a long period of time.
3-06-2007 @ 11:05PM
L DURAN said...
At tthe age of 15 I came to not america but the united states of america illegaly !!! and if any has a problem with it well live with it... I never ask for any social services or help of any kind{gov.help} have two kids and a beautifull wife.i didnt left mexico becouse I wanted to I left because I had no future there came here and make my self a feauture so all those people complaining about immigrants get over it and make your own future.you guys call your selfs amaricans well you where born american. i was born mexican and I choose to be an American because America choose to give me a feature.thanks AMERICA
3-13-2007 @ 9:47PM
John said...
REPLY TO POST #3, FROM JEN.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE? SPEAK FOR YOURSELF WOMAN, OR BETER YET LET A MAN DO IT.
Everyone needs to realize that if you were born in this country you "ARE NOT AN IMMIGRANT". My parents were born in this country, I was born in this country, my children were born in this country and none of us are immigrants. So Jen get off your soap box and go to your nearest library and look up the definition of immigrant.
3-28-2007 @ 10:42AM
John said...
REPLY TO POST #5, FROM VAUGHN.
you better wake up Vaughn. What it is, is "Corporate Greed" over America, and americans. and if we dont stop it will be our ruin. One day we will wake up and find we have sold out to the rest of the world and are now it's slave.