Welp #Roommates, apparently ignorance is still at an all-time high these days and a local CVS is the latest offender. A store in Indiana is at the center of claims that a worker reportedly asked for a Puerto Rican student’s immigration papers before he could buy medicine.
With immigration being one of the most talked about issues in the country, there are still endless accounts of people being discriminated against and questioned about their immigration status. According to @USAToday, an Indiana CVS is under fire that has resulted in an investigation being opened following claims that a Puerto Rican college student was requested to show immigration papers before he was allowed to buy medicine for a cold.
CVS officials say they are officially investigating a claim by Purdue University engineering student, Jose Guzman Payano, who said he was denied purchase of cold medicine because employees at an Indiana store looked at his Puerto Rican driver’s license, told him he needed a valid U.S. ID and then proceeded to question him about his immigration status.
The incident occurred on October 25th and instantly went viral after Payano’s mother, Arlene Payano Burgos’ shared the story on social media, writing:
“What caused this employee to ask him for his visa? Was it his accent? Was it his skin color? Was it the Puerto Rican flag on the license? Whatever triggered her to discriminate against my son embodies exactly what is wrong in the United States of America today.”
Following the backlash, CVS issued an apology via statement:
“We are committed to ensuring that every customer receives courteous, outstanding service in our stores, and we apologize to the customer for his recent experience. We are fully investigating this matter to learn more about what occurred. While our employees must adhere to laws and regulation requiring identification for the purchase of over-the-counter medication, our expectation is that all customers be treated in a professional manner. Yes, a Puerto Rican ID is considered a valid form of identification at CVS Pharmacy. All employees at this location have been reminded of the company policy.”
Guzman Payano explained the encounter this way:
“She said I needed a visa. I tried to explain that Puerto Rico was part of the United States. I didn’t need a visa or anything. She just said the same thing three times. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this happened. It is weird because we’re such a broad campus at Purdue. There are people from everywhere. But I can’t use my ID from Puerto Rico? Not even my passport? This shouldn’t happen here. Period.”
Situations like this are becoming all too common thanks to the current White House administration.
Roommates, what are your thoughts on this?
