Last month, a sign appeared in front of La Carreta, a Mexican restaurant in Marshalltown. It read Black Lives Matter, no human is illegal and other human rights phrases. Alfonso Medina owns and works at the restaurant. He’s the one who decided to put it up.
Since then, Medina received letters from people who said they were offended by the sign. He got another one yesterday. He posted the letter on Facebook and hundreds of community members commented with their support. Medina said it turns out the letters brought the community together.
“I decided to share it to just show people how you can take something negative, always in life and turn it into a positive," Medina said.
He said he wishes his response to the complaints could inspire other small business owners not just in Iowa, but also in the country. He said he wants small Latino businesses to know they have a political voice, just like other white-owned businesses. He mentioned Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby as examples. In the past, the chicken restaurant has donated to organizations criticized for anti-LGBTQ attitudes. Hobby Lobby is a Christian-owned business that has openly shared religious and political views.
The letters, Medina said, can encourage more conversation among community members, which can motivate open mindedness.
“[The letter] does not concern me much. I mean, if anything, makes you happy that it's creating conversation, because that's what people need to do," Medina said. "And if it changes one or two people's opinion or, maybe not change their opinion, but understand how people in other shoes, think or feel, then that's a win for me, even if it's one person."
La Carreta has helped the community by providing food during the pandemic and the aftermath of the derecho storm, so Medina says the letters won’t break his spirit.
