As countless Americans struggle to find work, many can’t help but wonder — is the search all the more difficult because of competition with immigrants? The conflict may be irrelevant at times, but here appears to be an instance when the role of immigration in the workforce was forced under the spotlight. “Now Hiring Must Be Mexican,” a billboard outside a Burger King in Ephrata, Washington, recently read, as was reported by local radio station KFFM.
There are some questions about the image. Initially, KFFM wrote it wasn’t “exactly sure of the reasoning. Maybe none of the current staff can speak espanol,” the site conjectured, as was reported by the news site, Opposing Views. But an update on KFFM’s website noted a “disgruntled employee” was fired for putting up the sign. The radio station has also questioned whether the image was actually taken at the Ephrata branch, as well.
Burger King has released a statement through its Facebook page in which it made clear the worker, who has not been named, was not acting on behalf of the parent company:
“The sign in question was posted briefly last summer, without approval at a franchise-owned and operated restaurant. Please know the franchisee has informed us that the employee who posted and photographed this sign was immediately terminated as a result. The Burger King team is dedicated to diversity and inclusion.”