Selling Mexican Food, Selling Out Mexican Workers

So back in January, Chipotle was audited and some workers were found to be illegal. Following the audit, it appears that 700 of Chipotle's 1200 Minnesotan workers were fired without much explanation or without the opportunity to provide proper documentation. (In some cases, workers showed driver's licenses, but those alone aren't sufficient to show status. I wonder what I would have to show in order to prove that I'm a citizen. Not that I would ever be asked.)

Reading the paper, I doubt that I will ever get the full, real story of what happened, newspapers being unbiased and presenting both sides and all...

If you've ever been to a Chipotle, you know what I'm talking about when I say that you can feel the energy, enthusiasm, and excitement the moment you walk in. Things are hopping. The workers are quick, engaging, and....well, happy. They seem to like stuffing those mammoth burritos.

I'm not making a comment about illegal immigration, mostly because I'm not sure how I feel about it. In fact, I think that maybe my position changes when I'm viewing it from an American perspective and when I'm viewing it from a humanity stand-point. I don't claim to know the ripple effect of illegal immigration either.

But, I did go to Chipotle a couple weekends ago. And it was obviously less brown, and conspicuously more white. The lady who took my order rolled her eyes both at me and at her fellow colleagues. The workers chopping chicken were quiet. And it was ssssslllllllooooooowwww.

So I don't know everything about illegal immigration, or the real story about why 700 employees were let go. All I'm saying is that my last visit was different. And not for the better.