Associated Students (A.S.) passed a resolution this past Wednesday to boycott Giovanni’s Pizza in Isla Vista after the restaurant staff allegedly discriminated against a Mexican customer.
The boycott will continue until the business owner formally apologizes to two UC Santa Barbara students who allege they experienced discrimination at the restaurant.
The resolution passed with a 24-0-1 roll-call vote, with On-campus Senator Derek Yang abstaining.
The resolution reads that A.S. senate will boycott Giovanni’s from all its functions and will advise their boards, commissions and units to refrain from patronizing Giovanni’s.
Students Oscar and Stephanie (names are shortened to protect their undocumented status) allege they were denied alcoholic drinks when they showed a Mexican government issued identification and a federal employment authorization document, respectively.
The Nexus sought comment from Giovanni’s regarding the allegations but did not receive a response. Giovanni’s owner said Tuesday she would release a statement to the Nexus commenting on the allegations.
A.S. now condemns the actions of Giovanni’s as last Wednesday’s resolution states they “committed discriminatory practices against UCSB students based on their identities and backgrounds.”
After debating the language used in the resolution, the Senate voted to pass it as it was first presented by Senators Steven Ho and Andrea Reyes.
Senator Brooke Kopel expressed issue with the word “boycott” being used and made a motion to change the resolution to condemn their actions only and not boycott.
Senators Yang and Kopel said Giovanni’s management should come in to speak on their own behalf, but Senator Reyes said it was too short notice and to wait on voting on the resolution would push it back to September, as Wednesday was their last meeting of the year.
Oscar and Stephanie were not present to speak, but Reyes and Ho presented a written comment on their behalf.
Oscar previously told the Nexus that Giovanni’s management accepted a German-issued ID soon after refusing his own. After speaking to the UCSB Legal Resource Center, he said he now knows both IDs lacked the necessary information required by law to sell alcohol and claims this is why there was a disparity of treatment.
During public forum, various students went up to speak about the incident, including Student Advocate General Jack Tannenbaum.
“It’s the right of any minority to define what hate against them is,” Tannenbaum said.
Evan Quash, newly-appointed deputy chief of staff for the office of the A.S. president, said it was “problematic” for Senator Yang to say that the resolution is “crying discrimination.”
“It is a commonly used tactic used to marginalized the voice of minority communities,” Quash said.
Fourth-year mathematics major AnaSophia Eiseman told the Senate they should use their power to condemn the Giovanni’s staff’s actions.
“That is your real power: your budget,” she said.
Update 6/8/17: This article has been updated to reflect the students’ undocumented status to further specify the reason for shortening their names. The article now also reflects that the Nexus contacted Giovanni’s for comment prior to publication. Giovanni’s management later contacted the Nexus and said they plan to send a statement.
Truly one of the most embarrassing representations of the UCSB students conceivable. Could it be true that there was only one desenting view point on the 25 member board, they’ve invented a social injustice, with the allegations of single individuals, and it’s impossible and problematic, to question the “feelings” someone has when it “appears”, racism has been inflicted upon them. (Because everyone knows racism is in the eye of the beholder.) The AS board and their advisors, have engaged in disturbing accusations and retribution, based on the slimmest of proof or evidence. this group of grandiose student leaders swing the… Read more »
Next time I visit IV, I’m patronizing Gio’s. For the sake of our society, I hope Gio’s doesn’t apologize, but I would understand if the owner decides to do so.
A.S. apparently cares more about virtue signalling than about a small business owner’s livelihood. Then again, they’re also just aspiring politicians learning from society, and ultimately, UCSB has the government it deserves.
Garshfield stay home thanks.
I comment under my name, unlike you.
It would seem that a fair number of people actually agree with me, though…
A restaurant was given two weird-looking IDs. They accepted one, but not the other. That’s not evidence of racism; that’s evidence that unusual situations produce random outcomes.
It’s even funnier that, according to the article, a Mexican ID can’t legally get you alcohol. So what is Gio’s supposed to apologize for? Not giving alcohol to someone who legally couldn’t buy alcohol?
Can we please stop this race to the left? AS senators need to stick their heads out for common sense.
If it was a mixup, why hasn’t Gio’s said anything yet? The not apologizing part is more concerning to me.
The owner of Gio’s did explain the situation. I believe she did so in a Bottomline article. Why apologize when she did nothing wrong? To me, that would be akin to admitting guilt while encouraging future accusations.
Are you a numbskull? It’s one thing to apologize for something you didn’t do, it’s quite another to admitt discriminating racial practices………the more you try to justify the facts or mount a defense on your behalf, the darker your toasted……..because “Thou does protests to much”. This execution was swift and immediate, By the edge of an ISIS Kilij
Wait, where’s the evidence? Can anybody point to the evidence? Disparity in two different IDs does not meet any threshold of evidence to conclude there was actual racism.
I attended in 1995-1999 and the AS back then and now is nothing more than a group of blowhards obsessed with making a statement and then sucking each others’ dicks afterwards. This “boycott” means nothing and will mean less than nothing as IV has much bigger issues to deal with.
So a big ass-fuck to you all on AS. Good luck in the real world when life smacks you around a bit.
nah, their parents will be there to pay their rent. dont forget that part
lmfao @ the irony of this comment when the restaurant in question was bought by a kids rich daddy for him ..
Here I stand alone on my soap box of shocked disbelief, preaching “the emperor and his court have no clothes”. Am I the only one who’s noticed the giant book of knowledge, slammed down at our feet, flopping open at the place where it says “Reverse discrimination”? Let me not spare you this tirade on injustice, and slathered run on sentences. This governing student body, campus democrats and community district members, representing UCSB and the students have perpetrated a hideous, erroneous, defamation of character, and business assassination, against Giovanni’s pizza. In a weeks time, they’ve accused, held court, past judgement… Read more »
According the Giovanni’s licquor lisence they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Whether that means they think you are too intoxicated to receive alcohol or whether they are unsure if your identification is valid. Giovanni’s is not trained to recognize foreign id’s and are trained to only accept ones that they KNOW are valid. Keep in mind Gios refused to sell alcohol not food or any other products. I was a witness that night and the young lady who was refused alcohol responded by yelling a myriad of “fuck you’s” in the owners face. Consequently they were also… Read more »
ASSociated students needs to do research before posting fake news and boycotting a business whose family I know and they are not racist. The people in question were denied alcohol because they DID NOT HAVE THEIR IDs with them. It’s unlawful to serve anyone that cannot prove their age. I think I’ll boycott ASs for being stupid. If fact, I’m going to go there and tell them that. Why is it that people seem to not be able to account for their own actions but rather scream cry and kick their feet when it doesn’t go their way? F’in morons!… Read more »
Children of the corn, crying wolf, making a sloppy job of stapling this lady to a cross.
News flash. The owners of the Giovanni’s franchises have pulled up stakes and abandoned the university and Isla Vista after 37 years. Decades of providing services and entry level employment positions to immigrants, first generation, undocumented and green card holders franchise wide. It turns out they get the last laugh. Now the grand student governance tribunal has to wallow in their own decree that the Alcoholic Beverage Control laws and regulations are racist and discriminating. The campus democrats and their senator followers will no doubt attempt to validate themselves as appointed Supreme Court of the community. It might come as… Read more »
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 explicitly prohibits restaurants from refusing service to patrons on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. In addition, most courts don’t allow restaurants to refuse service to patrons based on extremely arbitrary conditions.
Giovanni’s did not refuse service to anyone, based on race, gender, religion or nation of origin. They refused to serve alcohol to one girl because of the condition and quality of the form of identification she presented. Service of alcohol is a privilege provided by the state, the sever is empowered with the authority and the liability of such transactions, based on the conditions of the sellers permit, and Alcoholic Beverage Control regulations. In “addition” the associated student government is not a court, there is no jurisdiction power to declare discrimination, no jury, judge, or due process to conclude “extremely… Read more »
Accusations of racial discrimination are first reported to law enforcement, UCSB, Isla Vista police or Santa Barbara Sheriff. They compile the facts, evidence and witness statements, and forward it to the prosecutors office. The prosecutor determines if the allegations warrants a criminal offense. They can prosecute the case, settle, or if outside their jurisdiction, defer to the state District Attorney. The State D.A. Could try the case in state court or pass authority to the U.S. District Court. Either way the F.B.I. generally assume the investigation, in addition Individuals can file petitions directly with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Since… Read more »