"Clear Discrimination" vs "Intent Needs to Be Determined"
Starbucks Has Faced Multiple Racial Controversies in the Past
An allegation that a Korean customer was subjected to racial discrimination at a Starbucks store in the United States has sparked widespread controversy online.
On February 26, a post was uploaded to social media stating, “Today, my Korean colleague ordered a black coffee at Starbucks, and the cup had ‘yellow!!’ written on it,” along with a video.
The released video showed a receipt sticker on the back of a beverage cup, displaying what appeared to be a Korean name as the orderer and the phrase ‘yellow’ written on it. The author explained, “My colleague wasn’t wearing yellow clothing and did not notice it at all until before drinking the beverage,” and added, “What does this mean? Is it some kind of secret code?”
An allegation has emerged that a Korean customer was subjected to racial discrimination at a Starbucks store in the United States. Social media screenshot
The post quickly went viral, garnering thousands of ‘likes’ and more than 1,000 comments. The controversy intensified because ‘yellow’ has historically been used as a derogatory term for East Asians in Western countries. Some users called it an “obvious act of discrimination” and demanded an official apology from the store, while a user who claimed to be a former barista insisted, “It’s not a secret code.” However, there were also some who cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the intent.
As of now, Starbucks headquarters has not released an official statement regarding the incident.
Starbucks has faced multiple controversies related to race in the past. In 2018, a major incident occurred when two Black men were arrested at a Philadelphia store for not ordering a beverage. This led Starbucks to close more than 8,000 stores across the United States and conduct anti-bias training for staff.
However, in 2020, another controversy erupted when it was revealed that a Muslim woman received a cup labeled ‘ISIS’ instead of her name after ordering a drink at a Starbucks located in the St. Paul-Midway Target in Minnesota.
In 2021, at a store in Dublin, Ireland, an incident occurred in which a cup ordered by an Asian customer was marked with a drawing of ‘slanted eyes.’ The local Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ordered compensation. At the time, the employee claimed it was meant as a gesture of goodwill, and Starbucks’ explanation that the atmosphere was friendly was accepted, but the compensation order remained in place.
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