Many groups and people have taken a stance against Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump, now tacos and their makers stand with them.
Tepa Taqueria sponsored the Delta College’s “Students Against Trump’s Taco Day” event, where in return for putting down some contact information and name patrons bought tacos at a discounted price.
“No one gave attention to the sign so business stayed as the same as every day with lunch rush ending and a regular amount of people coming in after. My boss was the one with the idea,” said Mariano Canales, the manager of Tepa Taqueria.
The event happened on Sept. 14 by volunteers of Students Against Trump in coalition with the campaign for Jerry McNerney for Congress to mock a quote from Marco Gutierrez, a Trump supporter.
“Well we got this guy that gave this quote (Marco Gutierrez) so we decided on the left to poke fun at this idea about taco trucks on every corner,” said Chris Johnson, a field director of Jerry McNerney for Congress.
The main target for this event is in the name.
Trump has openly said negative things about the Latino community.
In response many organizations have hosted and sponsored events similar to this one.
“By hosting Taco Day we hope to get more students involved in politics for the upcoming election. I believe that it will increase awareness for the two nominees,” said Evangelina Solano-Rojas, a student of San Joaquin Delta College.
Tepa Taqueria has served Mexican cuisine since 1994.
It is located in the College Square shopping center.
Trump’s remarks directed at the Latino community have changed opinions and left some without a political party preference.
“I saw him as a serious candidate,” said Mariano Canales. “Until he starting bashing some ethnic backgrounds. Now it is more jokey. He was looking more better than most Republicans. It’s funny because in a business like this you see people come through that can’t eat pork or beef but still share the same dreams as me. Muslims have Allah and Christians have Jesus, I’m not [going to] hate.”
The event’s fliers were handed out at Delta College’s quad by Students Against Trump on Monday, Sept. 12 during all parts of the day in an effort to draw people in with the appetite of cheaper tacos.
“Trump has some good qualities and bad qualities just like rest of the candidates. He is a great businessman,” said Canales.
Still, people are finding it hard to stand behind Trump and his views.
“San Joaquin County and Stockton are very diverse communities with a strong Latino presence. A campaign that’s based on targeting Latinos and diversity is bad. We did this event to let the voices of Latinos and other groups heard against a campaign like this,” said Solano-Rojas.
Food brings a community together, especially when those within the community are meeting for a common goal.
Some are shedding light on the election by comparing food to candidates.
“If Donald Trump was a taco he would be one with a lot of lengua (tongue) and a little cerebro (brain),” said Francisco Aguilar a self proclaimed Taco Master.
Aguilar is a regular at the flea markets in Stockton and has seen first hand the effects of Trump’s words.
“This black truck came and threw water balloons at me, the they yelled was ‘go back to Mexico, Trump’ while they drove away their Trump 2016 sticker was more visible before. We don’t like to think racism is still like this but I went through it first hand. I am happy Tepa Taqueria is doing something like this,” said Aguilar.