On Jan. 8, a Dallas-based pizza chain, Pizza Patron, began accepting Mexican pesos, in addition to the U.S. dollar, as a form of payment from customers.The decision by any business to accept an additional currency is entirely that: its decision.

Andrew Gamm, Pizza Patron’s director of brand development, said the chain caters predominantly to Latinos and began accepting pesos as an additional service to its patrons.

Like all businesses, Pizza Patron has a desire to make a profit by serving customers and keeping them happy. Accepting pesos is one way to do that.

Though the move is entirely legal, Gamm said, at first the company received many complaints via e-mail about the service. Some call it one more way Latino culture is invading the U.S.

One week later, however, Gamm said the tide has turned and the majority of e-mails the company receives are largely positive.

While many U.S. residents might be upset at the company’s decision to accept pesos, it should be noted that many businesses in the northern states already accept Canadian dollars with little to no resistance or protest.

As many have noted time and again, the United States is a melting pot of culture. Since its birth, our country has lived and breathed on the ideal of all cultures welcome. The United States has seen waves of immigration: Germans, Italians, Chinese and, now, Central and South Americans.

It’s only natural for this newest wave of immigrants to bring with them a part of their own country, monies included.

Gamm said he thinks a lot of money exists in small amounts of pesos spread over many people in the state and accepting this currency is one way Pizza Patron is differentiating itself from larger competitors and helping to keep its growing customer base loyal.

People should look at Pizza Patron’s new plan as a business decision not a political motivation.

John-Laurent Tronche is a senior news-editorial journalism major from Fort Worth.