Although racism is widely condemned, there are still individuals who cling to these dangerous and hateful beliefs. Recently, Guillermo Ortiz, a server at Planet Hollywood in Los Angeles International Airport, was shocked to receive a racist note from a customer. At the end of his shift on March 21, he found a message written on his receipt that read, “No tip for illegal. Go back to Mexico.” Ortiz was taken aback and pointed out that he wasn’t even Mexican.
Guillermo Ortiz explained that although he isn’t Mexican and the note shouldn’t have affected him personally, it still hurt. He added that his wife is Mexican, and it was wrong to treat others that way. The customer was supposed to include an 18.5% gratuity when paying for their meal at Los Angeles International Airport, but instead, they removed the tip and left the racist note. Since the customer paid in cash, their identity remains unknown.
Ortiz believes that the rise in racism can be attributed to the attitude fostered by President Trump’s administration. He feels that Trump’s openly racist rhetoric has emboldened individuals who might have kept their hateful beliefs hidden under previous administrations. “This is happening because of what’s going on with President Trump right now,” the Los Angeles International Airport server stated.
Despite this painful experience, Ortiz has no intention of quitting his job as a server. He expressed pride in his work, saying, “I’m a server; that’s how I support my kids, that’s how I support my family.”
Thankfully, not everyone shared the same views as the unknown customer. Those who heard about Ortiz’s experience quickly condemned the act. “The cruelty is the point. Racists and worse are emboldened by the current administration and the Republican Party. It only gets worse from here,” one Reddit user commented.
Others pointed out that this kind of racist attitude is more common than many realize. One user shared, “Yeah, this happens more often than people think. My ex’s brother was yelled at to go back to Mexico once, and he’s a naturalized citizen. It’s always shocking when you witness it in public. Some people have no manners and just spew racism openly.”
Many reminded others that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. The unknown customer’s racist attitude highlighted their desire to spread hate, regardless of the facts. “It shows that racists don’t care about citizenship or how we come here ‘the right way.’ Legal status is just a smokescreen when they’re willing to mistreat anyone they label as ‘illegal,'” one commenter stated.
