Habla hysteria

The sign tells you right away Pizza Patron's not your normal fast-food chain. Just how special it is comes out in Texas-based pizza chain accepts pesos, takes heat.

It's startling to me that people who are bigoted against immigrants care so much that they'll spend time and energy going after an entrepeneur like this. What the hell do they care how a fast-food joint accepts payment?

Maybe these haters should instead try and contribute to this country.

Chicago Tribune: A pizza chain has been hit with death threats and hate mail after offering to accept Mexican pesos, becoming another flash point in the nation's debate over immigrants.

"This is the United States of America, not the United States of Mexico," one e-mail read. "Quit catering to the ... illegal Mexicans," another said.

Dallas-based Pizza Patron said it was not trying to inject itself into a larger political debate about illegal immigration when it posted signs this week saying "Aceptamos pesos"--or "We accept pesos"--at its 59 stores across Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and California.

Pizza Patron spokesman Andy Gamm said the company was just trying to sell more pizza to its customers, 60 percent of whom are Hispanic.

Wal-Mart, H-E-B supermarkets and other American businesses in towns along the Mexican border accept pesos. Some businesses in New York and Minnesota along the northern border accept Canadian dollars. ...

The company said it has received hundreds of e-mails, some supportive, most critical.

While praising the pesos plan as an innovative way to appeal to Hispanics, a partner in the nation's largest Hispanic public-relations firm said a backlash was inevitable.

"Right now there's a lot of anti-immigrant rhetoric going around that could make them a lightning rod," said Patricia Perez, a partner at Valencia, Perez & Echeveste in Los Angeles.

Pizza Patron proclaims on its Web site that "to serve the Hispanic community is our passion." Its restaurants are in mostly Hispanic neighborhoods, and each manager must be bilingual and live nearby, said Pizza Patron founder Antonio Swad, who is part-Italian, part-Lebanese.

Is this the American dream, or what?! Immigrant starts an innovative small business which fulfills a need and becomes a national chain; comes up with a twist, draws fire, perseveres, and before you know it everyone else is copying the idea.

At least that's how I hope this story ends.

Pizza Patron sign photo via Austin Chronicle