KUSA-TV reported on Friday that Edgar Antillon, co-proprietor of Rubbin’ Buttz BBQ and Country Cafe in Milliken, Colorado, announced with a sign posted to his restaurant’s window that the business would observe “White Appreciation Day” on June 11 by offering Caucasian customers a 10 percent discount.
Antillon had told KUSA-TV, “We have a whole month for Black History Month. 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.”
Following a backlash against the idea on social media, Antillon appeared on CNN on Saturday, arguing that his intention was to celebrate the U.S. as a “melting pot,” and that whites should not be made to feel excluded when other groups, such as blacks, celebrate “history month.”
He said that the idea of celebrating “White Appreciation Day” started off as a joke that white people do not have a special day honoring them.
He said, “We are an amazing culture here in the U.S. We’re a melting pot. But we should include white people in that, too.”
However, some critics have challenged the notion that there are no days dedicated to honoring whites. For instance, the Daily Dot’s Chris Osterndorf, argued that for obvious historical reasons, days such Columbus Day, Fourth Of July Independence Day, St. Patrick’s’ Day, and Confederate Memorial Day, are “White Appreciation Day” celebrations.
Antillon told The Huffington Post that as a Mexican-American he has also been a victim of discrimination. He said he has been in situations where store employees ignored him, refused to greet him or offer the same assistance as they gave to white customers.
Despite his personal experience of discrimination and awareness that some minority groups celebrate “history month” as part of efforts to redress a history of marginalization, he expressed the opinion that celebrations based on racial and ethnic identity should be abolished.
He said no race deserves to be “segregated” from the rest through a “history month” celebration.
“The main purpose of this was to eliminate the need for Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month,” he told The Huffington Post, adding, “Slavery was real, and in some countries it still is real; we’re not trying to downplay that. We’re trying to move past that and realize we are all Americans.”
Despite the backlash on social media, Antillon said that the response from his customers has been positive.
“A lot of Hispanics are in favor of what we’re doing. I think they get it. They’re not the kind of people that are going out there looking for racism,” he said.
He described his critics as people “full of hate and negativity.”
Reaction on Facebook was mixed. Some users expressed support, while others criticized the idea.
A Facebook user wrote:
“There’s the black American month, Hispanic month, why is there a problem if there’s white month?”
Another Facebook user complained:
“Black people can have BET television, or the NAACP, or black history month… and that is not considered racist yet when white people have any sort of event to celebrate them it’s so racist.”
Although, Antillon had earlier told KUSA TV that the restaurant would offer discount only to white people, he told CNN on Saturday that all people – white, black, yellow and brown – who visit the restaurant on June 11 will be offered 10 percent discount.
A Facebook user expressed disappointment at the news that the restaurant owner had changed his mind about offering a discount to “whites” exclusively.
“Sorry to hear you changed your mind. I’ve been waiting years for someone to have the guts to do this. Exposing hypocrisy is a tough row to hoe. You were almost my hero.”
But a critic attacked the idea on Facebook:
“Every day is already White Appreciation Day. It’s all-white appreciation all the time in our society and white people are so used to it and hooked on it that when any other group is they whine and cry foul about having the white love leave them for even just a month. The whole reason we have days and months recognizing the oppressed is because they are oppressed. White people are not. There are systems in place in our society that benefit white people. If you aren’t working to tear those systems down, you’re a part of the problem because that means you’re allowing them to continue.”
After the business claimed on Facebook that it received a bomb threat, some skeptics dismissed the “White Appreciation Day” as a publicity stunt. A social media user wrote:
“Funny Thing About The ‘Bomb Threat.’ Milliken Police Dept. Believes It’s another publicity stunt… oops… Maybe I Wasn’t Supposed To Say That!”
Some alleged that Antillon is hoping to receive windfall donations through a GoFundMe campaign. A satirical comment on Yelp outlined how to make money through GoFundMe:
“Step 1. Be a business that’s languishing in obscurity, on the edge of financial ruin, or both.
Step 2. Make very public statement announcing plans to discriminate against a protected class(es).
Step 3. Get disemboweled on Yelp.
Step 4. Claim that imaginary death threats shut you down; blame ‘librul media,’ start GoFundMe page.
Step 5. Receive windfall of donations from other bigots.
“It’s the 21st century version of burning down your own business to collect the insurance money. And I’m sure the bigots will flock to support these guys too; what are their names again?”
Antillon’s identity as a first-generation Mexican-American also sparked a largely obtuse online argument about whether Hispanics are “whites.”
