Taco trucks on every corner

A taco truck in the downtown area of St. Louis, Missouri

The phrase "taco trucks on every corner" was used by American activist Marco Gutierrez, the co-founder of Latinos for Trump, on September 1, 2016 which received widespread attention during that year's presidential election. During an interview with MSNBC, Gutierrez referred to emigration from Mexico, stating that "My culture is a very dominant culture, and it's imposing and it's causing problems. If you don't do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner."

His remarks subsequently met with both sarcasm and criticism, many mocking the statement on social media and sending #TacosOnEveryCorner to the top of Twitter's list of trending topics. ^[1] Others expressed concern over his remarks, stating that he was using "coded language that politicians and pundits use to get away with explicitly racist messages — from crime to immigration and terrorism." Taco trucks were used as voter registration-information booths in Houston Texas, and a nationwide Guac the Vote campaign was launched. ^[2] NPR wrote that taco trucks "now straddle the worlds of political symbol and internet meme". ^[3]

Origin

The phrase originated with Hispanic American activist Marco Gutierrez, a co-founder of the group Latinos for Trump, during an interview with MSNBC host Joy Reid on September 1, 2016 regarding the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign. The phrase was used within the context of a warning about the "dominance" of Mexican culture, underscoring Gutierrez's stance that emigration from Mexico should be more closely regulated. ^{[lower-alpha 1]} In an interview with Deutsche Welle on September 8, 2016, Gutierrez explained, "If you don't regulate the immigration, if you don't structure our communities, we are going to do whatever we want. We are going to take over. That is what I'm trying to say and I think what is happening with my culture is that its imposing [itself] on the American culture – and both cultures are reacting." ^[5]

Reactions

• Online responses followed immediately after the interview. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} The Associated Press described the online response as a "social media onslaught". ^[6] On September 3, 2016, #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner was the top hashtag on Twitter. ^[10]
• A taco truck voter registration drive in Houston drove a dramatic increase in the city's voter registration. Houston Chronicle ^[11] reported that the effort "...is a trend that prompted Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart to call a news conference Wednesday, just a few blocks from the Tacos Tierra Caliente truck, to encourage people to vote early and avoid the crowds." Houston Chronicle ^[12] later reported that "As registration closed, Harris County's voter roster had grown by more than 6 percent since 2014, the steepest increase in 16 years. More than 323,890 new names have been added." ^[13] The initiative was widely covered in local, national, and international news media. ^{[14] [15] [16] [17]}
• The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce started a Guac the Vote campaign to use taco trucks to register voters and to appear at polling stations on election day. The campaign name is a reference to guacamole. ^{[lower-alpha 2] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]}
• Gustavo Arellano et al. started the satirical political Taco Truck Party. LA Weekly quoted Arellano as stating "It is perfect that the election has been boiled down to this one essential binary — do you want tacos or no tacos". ^{[25] [26] [27]}
• Several owners of taco trucks used the opportunity to criticize and protest Trump. Nancy Paz, owner of Detroit taco truck Tacos El Caballo, parked her truck across the street from a Trump rally two days after the remarks. ^[28] Meanwhile, Osiris Hoil, owner of Washington-area Mexican restaurant District Taco, welcomed the idea of taco trucks on every corner, responding with a simple "Why not?" Hoil founded District Taco as a food truck in Rosslyn, Virginia before eventually opening up several brick-and-mortar restaurants in the Washington area. ^[29]

By political figures

• During a conference call with university students on September 8, 2016, Hillary Clinton stated "And in case you're wondering, I'd love it if there were taco trucks on every corner!" ^[30]
• During a visit to Los Angeles on September 9, 2016, former president of Mexico Vicente Fox visited a taco truck while being interviewed for the radio show El Show de Piolín and stated "Los tacos will make America great — not the other guy". ^{[31] [32] [33]}
• On September 13, 2016 advocacy news website Vox quoted Donald Trump campaign spokesperson Jon Cordova as saying "Marco Gutierrez is NOT a surrogate for the Donald Trump campaign and only represents his own views, not the position of the campaign." ^{[34] [35]}
• On September 15, 2016 at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Hillary Clinton stated "By the way, I personally think a taco truck on every corner sounds absolutely delicious" as part of her speech there. ^[36]

By location

• The Colorado Democratic Party used a taco truck parked outside of campaign headquarters of Donald Trump in Denver to register voters. ^{[37] [38]} On September 7, 2016 the truck was vandalized. ^{[39] [40]}
• In Detroit, the Hillary Clinton campaign announced a Voter Registration on Every Corner- Southwest Taco Trucks Edition event involving eight taco trucks for September 16, 2016. ^{[41] [42] [43]}
• In Houston, communications firm Rigsby Hull and Mi Familia Vota organized a two-week voter registration drive, enlisting taco trucks citywide as distribution centers for voter registration cards and bilingual voter information guides. The drive started September 27, 2016: National Voter Registration Day and ran through October 11, 2016. ^{[44] [45]}
• Taco trucks were used in political events in Arizona ^[46] and Detroit. ^{[47] [48] [49] [50]}

In popular culture

• Sales of the song "I Love You More Than Tacos" by the Latin music band Carne Cruda increased. The song is about "a man's love so profound that he would give his tacos and burritos to someone else". ^[51] Univision reported that the song "has become something of an anthem in the wake of the #TacoTruckOnEveryCorner controversy." ^[51]
• On October 21, 2016 American singer and musical theatre actress Leslie Kritzer released a satirical song titled "Taco Truck Invasion". ^[52] Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Kritzer battles the derogatory statement made by Gutierrez, who also founded Latinos for Trump, with humor by embodying her alter-ego Riff-Tina, dancing through the streets with a taco truck by her side." ^[53]

Polling

In a survey of 1,898 American adults conducted on September 3, 2016, market research firm YouGov reported that 58% would be happy "if there was a taco truck on your corner". ^[54]

In an opinion poll of 744 likely voters conducted in Florida from September 4 to 6, 2016, polling firm Public Policy Polling reported that "tacos and taco trucks are pretty popular among voters who have opinions on them." ^{[55] [56]} The firm reported tacos had a +36% net favorability, and taco trucks had a +30% net favorability, with a "pretty significant party divide on the 'issue' of taco trucks". ^[55]

See also

• List of political slogans
• List of U.S. presidential campaign slogans
• Neoliberalism
• Taco Trucks At Every Mosque

Notes

1. "While on All in With Chris Hayes on Thursday evening, Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez warned of the danger of allowing Mexican culture to enter the United States unabated." ^[4]
2. "On Tuesday, the Hispanic Chamber, which says it represents 4.1 million Hispanic-owned businesses nationwide, took things a step further, announcing a "Guac the Vote" campaign to encourage taco truck owners to register customers to vote and then to park outside polling sites on Election Day in a symbolic, if tasty, protest of Gutierrez's comments." ^[18]

References

1. Chokshi, Niraj (2016-09-02). "'Taco Trucks on Every Corner': Trump Supporter's Anti-Immigration Warning". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-10-26.
2. Lopez, German (2016-09-02). "Trump surrogate warns of scary future with "taco trucks" on "every corner"". Vox. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
3. Chappell, Bill (3 September 2016). "Taco Truck Owner Racks Up Sales At Trump Event In Detroit". NPR . Retrieved 2016-09-03. Donald Trump's visit to an African American church in Detroit brought both cheers and protests Saturday — but one of the star attractions was a taco truck. One of the humble vehicles, which now straddle the worlds of political symbol and internet meme, was parked outside.
4. Rodriguez, Mathew (September 2, 2016). "Latino Donald Trump supporter says more Mexicans means a taco truck on every corner". Mic.com . Retrieved 10 September 2016.
5. Machhaus, Carolina (2016-09-08). "Trump supporter's 'taco trucks' remark sparks online anger – and hunger". Deutsche Welle .
6. "Trump Supporter's 'Taco Trucks' Remark Draws Mockery". The Associated Press via The New York Times . 2016-09-03. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-09-03. The social media onslaught was in reaction to a Thursday night interview on MSNBC with Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez, who said the Mexican culture is "dominant" and "imposing" before issuing his taco warning.
7. Sanders, Sam (2 September 2016). "#MemeOfTheWeek: Taco Trucks On Every Corner". NPR .
8. "¿Por qué todo el mundo está hablando de los 'taco trucks on every corner'?" [Why everyone is talking about the 'taco trucks on every corner'?] (in Spanish). Univision.
9. "'Taco Trucks on Every Corner': The Warning That Wasn't". Adweek. 2 September 2016. Bad, bad choice of analogy on Gutierrez's part. His larger point, whatever that may have been, was immediately swallowed up at the mention of tacos. Who doesn't love tacos?
10. "#TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner: Why that threat backfired". The Christian Science Monitor . 2016-09-03. ISSN   0882-7729. Not only did many critics immediately dismiss Gutierrez' remarks as racist, but several also remarked upon the love that many Americans have for Mexican food. By midnight, the #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner was the No. 1 hashtag on Twitter.
11. "Taco trucks are the new frontier of voter registration drives". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
12. "Volunteers register record number of voters in Harris County". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
13. Schneider, Andrew (2016-09-28). "Harris County Pushes Early Voting, In Expectation of High Presidential Election Turnout | Houston Public Media" . Retrieved 2016-09-30.
14. "Taco Truck Voter Registration Campaign Launches in Texas". ABC News. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
15. "Houston taco trucks register voters as Latinos flex political muscle". Reuters. 2016-09-30. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
16. "Taco trucks are the new frontier of voter registration drives". 29 September 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
17. The Associated Press (2016-09-30). "'Guac the Vote:' Houston Taco Trucks Seek to Register Voters". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-09-30.
18. "Taco trucks on every corner? Business group wants them at every polling site instead". Washington Post . 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
19. "Latino business group starts 'Guac The Vote' effort". NBC News. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2016-09-07. The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is trying to turn the "taco trucks on every corner" comment made by a Donald Trump supporter into a voter registration campaign dubbed Guac The Vote.
20. "'Guac the Vote' Takes Aim at Hungry Unregistered Voters". Time Warner Cable News. 2016-09-08.
21. "Latinos Are Co-Opting the 'Taco Trucks on Every Corner' Threat to 'Guac the Vote'". Vice.com . 2016-09-09.
22. "'Guac the Vote' Will Register Voters at Taco Trucks on Every Corner". The Daily Meal . 12 September 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-12. Latinos for Trump made headlines this month when one if its members warned voters of an "ominous future" with "taco trucks on every corner." The hilarious blunder has unintentionally led the way for a new movement called "Guac the Vote" to get voters participating in the coming election.
23. Diaz, Daniella (14 September 2016). "Latino group hopes to troll Trump with taco trucks on Election Day". CNN .
24. "Guac the Vote registers voters at Arizona taco trucks". KAET Arizona PBS. 2016-09-20.
25. Romero, Dennis (2016-09-07). "Savor the SoCal Birth of the Taco Truck Party". LA Weekly .
26. "What taco truck owners have to say about a 'taco truck on every corner'". The Daily Dot. 2016-09-03.
27. Avila, Sergio (2 September 2016). "Latino entrepreneurs respond to "Taco Truck on every corner" comments". KSNV News 3.
28. Detroit taco truck serves tasty food - and a message to Trump Detroit Free Press
29. Taco trucks: As American as lo mein and pizza pie Washington Post
30. "Clinton touts education plan in talk with students". The Maine Campus . 2016-09-12. ... Even schools where you're campaigning with the help of marching bands and taco trucks." "And in case you're wondering, I'd love it if there were taco trucks on every corner!" Clinton added wryly.
31. Zimmerman, Neetzan (2016-09-14). "Ex-Mexican president beats up Trump piñata". The Hill .
32. Woody, Christopher (2016-09-14). "'Totally empty, he has no brain': Mexico's former president took out his frustration on a Donald Trump piñata". Business Insider .
33. "Trump prueba los puños de Vicente Fox en El Show de Piolin". El Show de Piolín. 2016-09-09.
34. "Samantha Bee show visits newly-famous 'Latinos for Trump' founder Marco Gutierrez". Fox News Latino . 2016-09-14.
35. Lopez, German (2016-09-13). "Latinos for Trump founder: Hispanics "are a primitive and underdeveloped culture"". Vox .
36. Clinton, Hillary Rodham (September 15, 2016). "Clinton: A taco truck on every corner sounds delicious". The Hill. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
37. "Democrats Troll Donald Trump With a Taco Truck in Colorado". Time . 2016-09-03. Retrieved 2016-09-03. Colorado Democrats are setting up a taco truck outside of Donald Trump's campaign office in Denver to register voters after a Trump surrogate said that more Mexicans moving to the United States would lead to "taco trucks on every corner."
38. Hammond, Adam (2016-09-03). "Taco truck appears outside Trump's campaign headquarters in Denver". KMGH-TV . Retrieved 2016-09-03.
39. Belcher, Mark (2016-09-08). "Taco truck parked outside of Trump HQ vandalized". KMGH-TV . Retrieved 2016-09-08.
40. Aegerter, Macradee (2016-09-10). "Taco truck that parked in front of Denver Trump office vandalized". KDVR .
41. Niraj Warikoo, Robert Allen (2016-09-14). "Hillary Clinton campaign woos voters at southwest Detroit taco trucks". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved 2016-09-15.
42. Daniels, Serena Maria (2016-09-14). "'Voter registration (and taco trucks) on every corner' this Friday in southwest Detroit". Detroit Metro Times .
43. "Voter Registration on Every Corner- Southwest Taco Trucks Edition". hillaryclinton.com. Sign up and help us register to vote all of our Southwest Detroit residents this Friday as we canvas at 8 local taco trucks!
44. "'Guac the Vote:' Houston taco trucks seek to register voters". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
45. TEGNA. "You can register to vote at local taco trucks". KHOU. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
46. "Arizona Democrats to host taco truck on their corner". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved 2016-09-03.
47. "A Trolling Taco Truck Made Huge Cash Outside the Church Where Trump Spoke". Esquire. 2016-09-03. Retrieved 2016-09-04. The taco truck was so popular, they even raised prices from $1.50 to $2.50 per taco.
48. "Taco truck joins in protests against Donald Trump's Detroit visit". Mlive.com . 3 September 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
49. Chappell, Bill. "Taco Truck Owner Racks Up Sales At Trump Event In Detroit". WAMU . Retrieved 2016-09-04.
50. Warikoo, Niraj (2016-09-11). "Taco truck owners in Detroit serve tasty food and a message to Trump". Detroit Free Press.
51. "Here's an anthem for taco lovers and #TacoTruckOnEveryCorner supporters". Univision . 2016-09-07.
52. "Leslie Kritzer Is Riff-Tina in New Video, "Taco Truck Invasion"". Playbill . 19 October 2016.
53. "'Taco Truck Invasion' Satire Combats Trump's Anti-Immigration Stance". Entertainment Weekly .
54. "Taco Trucks results". YouGov. 2016-09-03. Retrieved 2016-09-09. 2. Would you be happy or unhappy if there was a taco truck on your corner? Happy 58%, Unhappy 16%, Not sure 26%
55. "Presidential Race Up for Grabs in Florida". Public Policy Polling. 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2016-09-08. In the wake of last week's controversy we find that tacos and taco trucks are pretty popular among voters who have opinions on them. Tacos have a +36 net favorability with 47% of voters seeing them positively to 11% with a negative view. And taco trucks have a +30 net favorability with 42% of voters seeing them positively to 12% with a negative view. There's a pretty significant party divide on the 'issue' of taco trucks though- they're at +43 with Democrats (51/8) but only +7 with Republicans (23/16)
56. "Presidential Race Up for Grabs in Florida" (PDF). Public Policy Polling.

Further reading

External media
Audio
"Taco Trucks". BBC World Service . 2016-09-10.
Video
"Follow The Hashtag: #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner". Deutsche Welle . 2016-09-10.
This Week in WTF: Latinos for Trump on YouTube, 2016-09-12, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

• Bump, Philip (2016-09-02). "The national economic implications of a taco truck on every corner". The Washington Post .
• LaMagna, Maria (2016-09-02). "The real reason we don't have taco trucks on every corner". MarketWatch .
• Brammer, John Paul (2016-09-02). "'Taco trucks on every corner'? That'd really make America great again". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077.
• Jessica, Floum; Palomino, Joaquin (2016-09-02). "Data: SF at no risk of a taco truck on every street corner". San Francisco Chronicle .
• Popken, Ben (2016-09-02). "It's actually pretty hard work to get a taco truck 'on every corner'". CNBC .
• Spence, Shay (2016-09-02). "The 10 Best Taco Trucks in America (That We Wish Were on Every Corner)". People .
• Holmes, Jack (2016-09-02). "The Esquire Guide to Taco Trucks in Hillary Clinton's America". Esquire .
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• Florido, Adrian (2016-09-03). "Picture an America with #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorner". Southern California Public Radio .
• Lopez, Steve (2016-09-04). "Taco trucks on every corner? Sí, por favor". Los Angeles Times via PressReader .
• Erb, Kelly Phillips (2016-09-05). "So You Want To Open A Taco Truck? 11 Steps To Get Started With Your Small Business". Forbes .
• Dvorak, Petula (2016-09-05). "Taco trucks: As American as lo mein and pizza pie". Washington Post .
• Ball, Molly (2016-09-06). "Taco Trucks and the Soul of America". The Atlantic .
• Guadalupe, Patricia (2016-09-06). "Voices: Taco trucks in every corner? Where's my cuchifrito truck?". NBC News .
• Rehbinder, Henrik (2016-09-07). "Marcos Gutiérrez contribuye a que sea un hazmerreír el acercamiento de Trump a los latinos". Univision .
• Kammer, Jerry (2016-09-08). "A Look at the Washington Post's 'Taco Truck' Snark Fest". Center for Immigration Studies .
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• Grossman, Ron (2016-09-11). "Of taco trucks and pushcarts, and waves of American immigrants". Chicago Tribune .
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• Downes, Lawrence (2016-09-16). "It's Not Just About the Tacos". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331.
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• Adler, Steve (2016-09-17). "Johnson-Jordan Dinner remarks (speech by Austin, Texas mayor)". www.mayoradler.com.