Justice

The Internet Is Outraged Over the Racist Tip Left for This Server

November 20th 2015

Patrons of a Thai restaurant in Los Angeles' Redondo Beach have been trying to rectify a customer's bigoted note, left in place of a tip recently, by leaving heartfelt notes and hefty tips, a local NBC affiliate reported.

A picture of the "tip" in question, posted online earlier this month, has picked up traction, spawning news reports and online outrage. It was also shared on Facebook by Gina Darling, a YouTube personality and model. The colorfully-worded post was deleted, but a Twitter user took a screengrab, above.

The waitress at Bamboo Thai Bistro, who reportedly is in the U.S. on a legal work visa, wished to remain anonymous. But she has nonetheless received an outpouring of support from other customers disgusted by the man and by what many saw as his blatantly racist addition to the $22.84:

"Tip for U.S. citizens only," it read.

Customer responses have included 50 percent tips and $10 bills, accompanied by scribbles of encouragement saying things like "Sorry you had to deal with that sad man" and "Sorry he was a racist," NBC 4 notes.

Related: People Are Talking About This Receipt for the Wrong Reason Again

Customers are "really generous and, like, actually reaching out to us," Bamboo's manager, Adison Karnsomport told the station.

Although discrimination against Thai immigrants has not necessarily been the cause du jour for the anti-immigration set, an anti-immigrant sentiment has exploded in recent weeks. Syrian refugees are being associated with deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, and Central and South American immigrants face threats of expulsion en masse from serious contenders in the presidential race. It's an all-too-real mainstream materialization of the "tip's" xenophobic sentiment.

Related: Trump Would Not Rule Out Requiring Muslims to Carry ID Cards, Register in Database

Anti-immigration statements have not gone unchecked, receiving backlash this week from presidential candidates and the president himself. On Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addressed his Republican running mates who have used anti-immigrant feelings to stir up their voting base, calling them out for "using the political process to inject racism into the debate." Earlier in the week, President Obama said that the "fear and panic" some feel in response to refugees is ultimately a disservice.

"We are not served well when, in response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic," he said Wednesday from the Philippines. "We don't make good decisions if it's based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks."

And as if the receipt's racist overtones were not enough for Bamboo server, the man skimped on an actual tip, something many workers rely on to pay for basic necessities. According to the Restaurant Opportunities Center United, a pro-labor research and advocacy outfit, the receipt might be illustrative of a larger issue for immigrant servers: immigrants—as well as people of color—are disproportionately positioned in the lowest-paying rungs of the restaurant industry, which is already the largest low-wage employer, according to one 2013 report.

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