If you think we have racial problems in this country, you will be amazed at 
this latest example of intolerance shown towards the Hispanics in the US.
The Pizza Patron company hit upon the idea of allowing customers to pay with Mexican pesos in its 59 stores due to the booming migrant Latin American population, it also wanted to compete with major pizza chains.
This makes good sense to me – but the decision has outraged almost 5,000 people who emailed the company with complaints, boycott announcements and death threats.
Here are some of the tamer complaints which do not disguise their disgust:
“This is the United States of America, not the United States of Mexico,” and “Quit catering to the damn illegal Mexicans” .
I find this reaction quite shocking, why is America still so intolerant towards its minority groups?
I’m particularly interested in racial issues right now as my latest assignment for my PR diploma is on this very topical subject, but based around a local authority which has severe racial problems. I have to create a campaign to help overcome them in the next 11 weeks.
I do not believe British people would show such intolerance if a similar scheme was introduced at any retail outlet in this country, in fact, it probably already happens without any problems.
Politicians and racial groups are actively trying to promote racial harmony, but is there a successful formula for this? (I am not considering extremist groups in this question.) How is racial integration achievable when different cultures have different beliefs and values? Where is the best practice that others can learn from?
If people live in the same place and are part of the same economy, they have things in common which outweigh the things which divide them, even if they cannot see that obvious fact. Their mutual welfare is bound together. A sense of shared identity needs to be cultivated which transcends Religous or ethnic divisions. I think plenty of people of my generation realise this. You can have a ‘Britishness’ or ‘Americanism’ which is about shared values, not perceived differnces.
I supprt Birmingham City, another man supports Aston Villa, but we’re both British not French.
In the same sense I’m Catholic, another man is Hindu, but we’re both British not French.
we need to be proud of Britain because we’re proud of the values it means, not because we can claim that our ancestors were here first. (If we are goung to be that silly, the English need to go back to Germany and leave the Welsh in sole possession).
It’s probably easier for me to take that view then for some- I never forget that, though white, there was a time when my religous/ethnic group was an unpopular minority here.
Is that any different from many shops accepting Euros in UK these days?
There were one or two cases of “little englanders” moaning when some shops over here started accepting Euros, but nothing like the US reaction. I guess it shows how intolerent some Americans are.
P.S. On your blogroll you have Susanne Lamido listed as a Lib Dem. My understanding is that she is not a member of the party any more and uses her blog to attack the Lib Dems.
I do not think you can make a comparison between our shops accepting euros, but say if an Indian shopkeeper used rupees, would we get hot and bothered about it? I really do not think so.
Nich, I was wondering what to do about Susanne following her fall-out with Lib Dems, maybe I’ll transfer her to my links for Other Political Blogs.
I think Jim says it all. You know how The Conservatives are obsessed with the UK pound 🙂 Personally I am very disappointed we didn’t opt into the Euro. I guess we will have to wait for the next crisis and run on the pound before we join up. Interestingly even Switzerland is considering the EU and Euro.
That’s amazing – nagatively so – in the “Land of the free”. I thought Americans liked enterprise? I agree with everything that Joe has said.
When I was in Poland in 95, it was easier to pay in Stirling or Dollars most places- the Zloty was just such an unstable currency- saved you bothering to change money, you only needed Zloties to buyfood and beer.
Stirling is all more acceptable now in the Republic than at any time since Ireland gave up parity with the pound in 78.
I think we are seeing one of America’s periodic bouts of Isolationism, a la pre Wall street, or under Eisenhower. It’s a response to the perceived global threat, the ideal of Brave Fortress America, protected by the wide Oceans from the forces of Despotism and Tyranny elsewhere. America feels unloved by the world outside her borders and wants to turn on herself, protected by the Eagle and the spirit of the Alamo.
As an aside, I think the idea of Hilary winning the White House in these circumstances is ludicrous. Guiliani’s probably got the best chance.
There is obviously no excuse for poisonous and racist emails in response to this move _ but I can understand why it makes people feel uneasy for a store in their country to be seen to encourage an immigant community to remain so rooted in their homeland that they pay with ‘home money’. In a racially and religiously diverse society it is surely important that those things we can share as a nation are embraced fully to aid integration. The idea that, whatever our differences, we are all carrying the same passport, using the same money, are subject to the same laws etc. is an important one. And critical to functioning adequately in a capitalist economy is the ability to instinctively be able to assess and compare the monetary value of things. If, say, a predominantly Asian district of Bradford were to find its stores opting to use the rupee, this would tend to discourage familiarity with the new homeland’s currency amongst new immigrants and lead them to stick to the stores using the money they ‘know’. It would also tend to encourage ‘white flight’ from those areas, as people feel further alienated by ‘funny money’ as it would surely be perceived.
Ellee, the cancerous issue you and your respondents so far have missed is the isue of how many mmigrants have come in, and how many are or are not illegal. Both are an issue especialy in some parts of the South of the USA (like Arizona) where schools which were all white 15 years ago are now all Mexican. With the level of illegal immigration and proposed amnisties, your average man in the street has no idea whether a Mexiacan looking person is an illegal immigrant, or has been here for generations.
It adds to tensions no end.
We have a similar issue in this country building up, but it is only National govermnent that can deal with that.
I don’t know what the demographic issues are taht your client faces, but one of the biggest concerns “locals” will have is the incorrect perception that “assylum seekers” get free mobile phones etc. So there are a number of myths that will need dispelling.
One thing that might help you Ellee, would be to compare different areas of a city like Birmingham. The areas I would choose would be Small Heath and Nechells/washwood heath.
Neither area is prosperous, both are largely non-white, but are very different. Basically one is largely safe and multicultural in the positive sense, the other is pretty much a ghetto where white folk do not leave their cars. I lived in the former and loved it, the other was a mile uproad and wild horses wouldn’t drag me there.
It is the forces that lead to the creation of ghettos that need to be examined.
David Allen makes a great point.
If a community is inundated by immigration then it may well put up barriers and become upset by practices that would not seem so odd to people from another country or community.
Wholesale community change is clearly going to be upsetting and confusing for all parites. The faliure at the heart of multicultralism is to try and pretent this is not son, but is instead ‘intolerance.’
I think the important thing is that the majority community in the country should recognice the contribution of the minorites/migrants towards the development of their country. The growth and development of the minorities results in the development of the host country and in turn positively affects the development of the host country nationals. So, if you take the economic view there is no place for racial discrimination.
Ellee – lots of great thoughts here which I hope help with the planning assignment. The big challenge for communicators is understanding what they can do to make a difference compared to what requires more policy changes. I would be interested to know what Joe thinks on that side.
With regard to the US and attitudes towards hispanics being linked to fears of immigration – this doesn’t apply to the anti-Japanese sentiment prevalent when it comes to the motor industry. Many consumers are recognising the US carmakers haven’t offered the same quality and range of vehicles as Toyota/Honda/Nissan etc. But others react racially – of course, there is some defensiveness over loss of American jobs (even though the Japanese brands are building cars in the US too). But the sentiments of those like Jack Roush who has declared “war” on Toyota entering NASCAR are outrageous and not generally picked up by US media as racist. I don’t think we’d see that attitude here so much – although the Union campaign against Peugeot closing its UK plant last year was very racist – or is it okay just because the French are predominantly white?
I like David Allen`s point as well. When I found out what our new kitchen was going to cost I thought maybe we were talking in Pesos but unfortunately not . I have also. Been thinking about racism. I think the place to start is this .
“ Do you believe or find it acceptable that the people who live in this country , the “English� are anymore than a motley collection of squatters or do you believe it is our country which we have a right to say , who comes here and how they will be accommodated by the host culture. I believe the latter and yet I am have no opinion about the intrinsic merits of different races. This distinction is vital because otherwise patriotic and cohering sentiment , the emotional ties upon which we rely to give government any currency at all will always be called racist. If we do not belive we are a People . A Volk they why would we care what one section of the community has to say about what another should be doing at all. Before anything there must be a sense of “We the English� and this must be differentiated from Racism.
do not believe British people would show such intolerance if a similar scheme was introduced at any retail outlet in this country, in fact, it probably already happens without any problems.
On this point you are wrong and the wind is blwoing the other way.The multi cultural experiment has failed. Immigrants can have a seperate identity but only in private . Public they must be English. the cop out “Black British” is as claim to no nationality but all benefits. That is why you do not hera baout “Black English” or “Asian English”. No no no.We must be together in this country, same language , same money , same broad values.Currently we tolerate racism homophobia only from Islam. Why should we?
Incidentally I am blogging on racism from another angle
It’s simple, you invite them over for a game of cricket.
We invaded Iraq so that they could be a democratic, free and tolerant country like America. Bush should get his own house in order before wanting to replace Heals furniture for Ikea crap in others.
but say if an Indian shopkeeper used rupees
Yes we would get “hot and bothered” . Its not the thing itself its the symbol. Its asif what we have and what we are counts for nothing . For the poltical class that is the case. By the way Elee i think you are wrong to exclude so called extremists.The BNP doubled thier council seats at the last locals and we might at least start to think about why that is.
How are Mexicans integrating with the wider US population if they are able to pay for thinks in America with pesos?
Maybe the negative reaction is due to the realisation that the United States will be a majority Spanish speaking nation in a couple of generations.
I wrote about this a while back, and the thought behind the pizza chain’s initiative was to collect up ‘sock drawer’ pesos that people could not be bothered to change up. They also sell at a conversion rate that is less favourable than the official one. Seems to me that good business is where you find it.
Elle,
I love your blog!
This issue also intrigues me too, I live in the USA and have found local people very Belligerent towards other cultures, faiths and literally any outsiders!
It’s nice to see people fly the American Flag and be patriotic, but the view over race seems to be the same, only it’s less open they the middle part of last century.
Although you linked to an ABC News story on this one, I must confess that I’d not heard about it before reading your post. But the ABC story notes that businesses near the borders have traditionally accepted Pesos (or Canadian dollars, depending on the border) — without controversy. I have seen that in my limited travels.
There is concern that some parts of the country are being overwhelmed by Hispanics who are not looking to become Americans, but only to participate in the American economy. Mexicans, legal or not, living in the United States have been allowed to vote in Mexican elections. There is fear, albeit unfounded in my opinion, at least at this point, that the continued settlement of Mexicans in the Southwest will lead to secession and possible unification with Mexico. That fear has this basis: It happened to Mexico when Americans settled in then-sparesly populated Texas and declared independence. (Remember the Alamo?) Most of the rest of the Southwest fell into American hands in the war with Mexico that followed.
I do think there’s a growing unease in this country with immigrant groups — not just Hispanics — who are not becoming Americanized, as our ancestors became Americanized. The fifth most popular radio station in the Chicago market broadcasts exclusively in Spanish. We have several Spanish language TV stations locally. On the other hand, we have a wonderful tradition in America, and in Chicago in particular, of a foreign language press — but a press that has put itself out of business as immigrant generations gave birth to generations of “good Americans.” There is some concern that this is not happening any more.
And this concern may even be fed, in some small way, I suppose, by the fact that a native-born Briton whose parents came from Pakistan or India or Nigeria sounds exactly like his Anglo-Saxon neighbors, while a native born American whose parents came from Mexico has an Hispanic accent — and African-Americans retain distinctive accents.
Our “melting pot” isn’t working like it should and it creates concern. Of course, it’s now discouraged to “force” American culture on school children. Because that’s the progressive way….
No answers for you today, Ellee, but thanks for an interesting question.
That sort of thing only leads to more segregation, Ellee. With one form of currency, people spend as one. Why should people want to spend in pesos, or euros, for that matter? They rightfully won’t accept our currency, so why others?
I don’t buy it, sorry. Surely using rupees in curry restaurants is not official party policy? I thought the Tories didn’t like the Euro, anyway?
Many thanks to everyone for your insights on this. And Joe, I shall certainly check out those two local authorities in Birmingham.