Latino-Owned Colorado BBQ Restaurant Criticized for Its Plan to Host 'White Appreciation Day'
A barbecue restaurant in Colorado is drawing criticism after its Hispanic owners announced they plan to hold "White Appreciation Day" honoring white people with a 10 percent discount.
"We have a whole month for Black History Month," Edgar Antillon, one of the two owners of Rubbin Buttz BBQ in Milliken, told 9NEWS. "We have a whole month for Hispanic Heritage Month, so we thought the least we could do was offer one day to appreciate white Americans."
It started as a joke but Antillon and the other owner Miguel Jimenez made it real by announcing they'll host "White Appreciation Day" on June 11 by offer a 10-percent discount only to white customers.
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"White Appreciation Day! June 11th. Because all Americans should be celebrated!!" reads a sign at the restaurant.
Many have not liked the idea and see it as a kind of racism.
It's "wrong" and "a perpetuation of racism," Ricardo Romero, a civil rights activist in northern Colorado, told KUSA. "If you're going to give a discount, give it to the whole community."
Jennifer McPherson at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies also warned of possible legal repercussions.
"If someone felt like they were being discriminated against, they could come to the civil rights division and file a complaint with our office, and we would investigate that," she was quoted as saying.
Antillon and Jimenez said they expected criticism because there's a history of racism in the America.
Antillon, who was born to Mexican parents, doesn't agree with the critics. "We're all American, whether you came from a different country, or you were born here," he said. "We're all American."
The move by the owners has resulted in publicity. The restaurant's website was down early Saturday due to traffic overload. "Due to a high volume of traffic, our website is down," read the message.
