FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               

Angela Hale, Equality Texas, 512.289.2995 angela.hale@equalitytexas.org

Equality Texas Releases Statement from CEO Ricardo Martinez on Amarillo Restaurant Owner’s Use of Racist Image and Name

Austin, Texas – June 10, 2020- Equality Texas, the largest statewide organization solely dedicated to securing full equality for LGBTQ Texans, today released a statement from CEO Ricardo Martinez on Amarillo Restaurant Owner’s Use of Racist Image and Name on his new restaurant in Amarillo.

“The first time someone called me a beaner, I was in junior high school. I remember feeling othered, embarrassed, and ashamed. Since then, I’ve heard that word uttered at me, at family and at friends more times than I care to admit or remember.

I have an aversion to the word because of how it has been weaponized in the past to make people feel inferior. The term is reductive, dehumanizing, unacceptable, and racist. I’m sure that many other folks in Amarillo feel the same way.

This isn’t political or hypersensitivity it’s about recognizing that words matter, and actions matter. It’s about choosing to empathize with someone’s lived experience and deciding, in turn, to make a restaurant welcoming to everyone. 

For Latino young people, particularly Mexican-Americans, trying to find their place in the world, having a restaurant with that name delivers a painful message that is formative, damaging, and long-lasting.”

We urge Amarilloans who understand the negative connotations associated with the restaurant name and image to please sign this existing petition started by a local Amarilloan.
https://www.change.org/p/amarillo-city-council-change-the-name-of-big-beaners-restaurant-and-remove-signs-at-owner-s-expense

###

Equality Texas is the largest statewide organization working to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Texans through political action, education, community organizing, and collaboration. The Equality Texas Foundation works to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Texans through education, community organizing, and collaboration.