Ah, man. This falls into the "What are you? Stupid?" category.

As though Austin Capital Management isn't in enough hot water as it is with a few lawsuits filed against it for its involvement with the Bernie Madoff Scheme, it has been revealed that one of its employees, Office Manager Tina McMillin, has caused a bit of an uproar by sending a patently ignorant email from her ACM  email account. In summary, the email was a reminder to various recipients  to pay their federal income taxes. The photo below was included in said email with the caption "21 Million Illegal Aliens are depending on you! Muchas Gracias!"




The email, as digital media tend to do, proliferated, winding up in the inboxes of various Hispanic persons, including a member of the Austin-based U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association. Complaints were  lodged and Austin Capital Management went into damage-control, calling a meeting with USHCA and profusely apologizing for the employee's email. McMillan still has a job.  USHCA Chairman Frank Fuentes, clearly stated that he "didn't  want to mess with anyone's employment." That was very big of Fuentes. I would have called for her head and the  head  of half the company.

Indeed, the email was racist, assuming that all Hispanics are illegal  aliens. However, I'd like to address  one issue that most of the media reports on this incident have missed:

IT'S BAD FOR BUSINESS!

My god, man. This is Texas. Hispanics  have, or  are at least close, to becoming a majority. Hispanics are   a powerful political, social, and  economic force in the Lone Star State. Do you really want to alienate more than half  of your potential market? Ms.  McMillin, are you a yankee with no clue how things work down here? If you are from Texas, you must have your head way up your ass. Remember, my Scottish lass, this land used  to be part of Mexico and is inextricably linked with the country. How did  you get  a job with ACM? Do you think Hispanics don't buy stocks or finance start-up companies? Get a clue. ACM- do you have any Hispanic  employees? I think you can find thousands of  Hispanics in the Austin-area  more than qualified for  the position of, say,  Office Manager...

The Hispanic population in Texas is growing and  prospering. If you want to be  a racist Ms. McMillin, go ahead. Just don't come crying to me when you wake up one day and find that you and your antediluvian attitudes have been left in the dustbin of history. I'd  take  a long hard look at your blatant racism. Your very employability and survival may depend on it.