Starbucks Customer Claims Offensive Joke on Drink Lid

A customer in Texas has stated that she and her culture were subjected to “aggressive” jokes scribbled on her drink lid by a Starbucks employee.

Blanca Lopez, who is Hispanic, was at a Starbucks in Irving, Texas, on June 23rd, ordering a horchata latte for herself and her two daughters. One of her daughters discovered a message written in black marker on her mother’s cup.

The joke read: “What do you call a sick eagle?” followed by the punchline, “Illegal.”

Lopez was taken aback by the jokes presented on her order. She expressed her dismay, reflecting, “Essentially, we are being labeled as illegal individuals with illnesses that don’t belong in this country.” At first, she was confused, unsure if it was meant to be humorous or if it was an affront to her identity.

“When I read it, I thought, am I supposed to laugh? What should I even do?” she remarked.

Her confusion deepened as she wondered, “Why did they label me in that way? Why do they question my status?” She found it offensive and troubling.

Lopez noted that jokes like these hit too close to home, particularly given her community’s experiences with deportation and immigration status. In January, there were significant ICE arrests in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Feeling frustrated, she reported the incident to the store manager, who assured her there would be a team meeting to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Lopez requested the barista involved be terminated. “If I were in charge and someone on my team did something like that, I would let them go immediately,” she said.

The story quickly circulated, prompting local activists, including protester Carlos Quintanira, to organize a gathering at the store to confront those responsible for the alleged jokes.

Quintanira initially planned for protesters to gather on June 28th, but later canceled the meeting when no one showed up. He remained in Target, livestreaming his search for the Starbucks employees responsible, but was told to leave by a store employee for recording inside.

“It’s challenging to mobilize our community, but it’s easier to take action. We hope both Starbucks and Target clarify their stance on such offensive comments,” Quintanira stated. “Let’s pause our protest with a spirit of forgiveness.”

Starbucks and Target have been contacted for comments regarding the incident.

Quintanira also defended the rights of undocumented immigrants in his community, stating, “It’s not just inappropriate; it creates barriers. In the media narrative, being called illegal equates to being framed as a criminal.”