Starbucks is doing what it can to help refugees when they come to the U.S.
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s immigration ban, the company’s Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz announced Sunday the coffee chain plans to hire about 10,000 refugees in the next five years, according to its website.
“We have a long history of hiring young people looking for opportunities and a pathway to a new life around the world,” according to the statement.
For students at UF, some were excited to support the company’s stance while others disagreed.
“I don’t think it’s inconsistent with Starbucks,” said Anthony Zona, a UF political science and telecommunication freshman. “It’s certainly one of the more left-wing corporations in the country.”
The 19-year-old said it’s Starbucks’ right as a privately owned company to take a political stance, but in doing so it’s alienating half of its consumers. Though he isn’t boycotting Starbucks, he thinks some students might.
“A lot of other people are going to be like ‘stick to the coffee, Starbucks,’” he said.
But he doesn’t think the company’s announcement will hurt it in the long- run.
“It will blow over just like everything in American politics,” Zona said.
He said that while Trump’s temporary ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries has been highly criticized, he thinks the 120-day suspension of all refugee admission will allow the country to look at its immigration and vetting policy and make sure it’s keeping U.S. citizens safe.
“It’s a few months to get our house in order, and I don’t think that’s too ridiculous to ask,” he said.
But Rana Al-Nahhas, 21, said she’s excited to see Starbucks support refugees. Though she would get coffee about once every week in the past, she said she can see herself becoming a more frequent customer.
“I am shocked and overwhelmed by Starbucks’ generosity and humanity,” the UF psychology senior said.
Al-Nahhas said her parents are immigrants from Syria and almost all of her family still lives there. She worries about her family’s and other Syrians’ ability to come to the U.S. if they are in danger.
“The fact that this ban is targeting all these countries that need help is unjustifiable,” she said.
She said a powerful country like the U.S. has an obligation to help others. It’s not political, she argued. It’s being human.
“Everyone loves coffee and now there’s a reason to love Starbucks even more,” she said.
Carolyn Witman, an anesthesia resident at UF, eats and drinks coffee with Ryan Butler and his dog, Penny, outside of the downtown Starbucks, located at 201 SE First St., on Monday. After the Starbucks CEO pledged to hire 10,000 refugees, #BoycottStarbucks started trending on Twitter. “I’m anti-boycott and pro-Starbucks,” Witman said.
