San Francisco residents outraged over new Mexican restaurant name

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Many Latinos in San Francisco are outraged over the name of a new Mexican restaurant called Bandidos.

Bandidos is Spanish for bandit, or outlaw and for most Mexican Americans the word is an old ethnic slur.

Activists say it's not only the name Bandidos which is offensive to an older generation of Mexican American and Latinos, but there are some things on the menu which are derogatory.

On Monday afternoon, the restaurant took a big and important step to appease the community by removing the glass which had the restaurant's name on it

It is unknown at this time on whether they will change the name entirely.

The owners received many posts from members of the community criticizing the name Bandidos.

"It's an outlaw, it's a criminal, it's someone who steps out of what is mainstream. So for us to be perpetuated as such is no different than being perpetuated as other derogatory things in other communities," activist Alfredo Pedroza said.

Even San Francisco comedian Marga Gomez stepped in. "When younger Mexican Americans, younger Chicanos, however they identify themselves say 'well it doesn't bother me,' I say, 'wonderful because the activists who came before you fought so you would never know that name,"' Gomez said.

Gomez has been in touch with the owners of the restaurant.

Earlier they had posted on Facebook, "Our intention was never to discriminate or reference racial stereotypes."

The restaurant received so many comments it had to turn off all posting ability on Facebook.

A few blogs in Los Angeles even wrote about it and how it has offended many even outside the Latino community.

"Calling me like a little sambo child, which I'm not. It's nothing pleasant," Brenda Hatten said.

One person wrote, "Sometimes I think the pc police in this town goes too far."

ABC7 News reached out to the owners and they said they were too busy working on Monday night's menu.