Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Taco Trucks Are Actually Registering Citizens to Vote in Texas and Arizona
Taco Trucks Are Actually Registering Citizens to Vote in Texas and Arizona
Yara Simón
When the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce encouraged taco trucks to become voter registration centers, cities across the country followed suit. A few weeks ago, the USHCC set a plan into motion to increase Latino turnout following Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez’s disparaging comments about his own community. He claimed that Latino culture is so imposing that if it goes unchecked, we’ll soon have “taco trucks on every corner.”
With these words, he made his animosity toward Latinos known. But with taco trucks that double as registration centers, the community has decided to do something productive. Instead of getting upset, truck owners are providing a crucial service. With 27 million eligible Latino voters, we can help decide the election. However, Latinos have yet to come out to the polls in full force. The same percentage of eligible Latinos – 48 percent – voted in the 2012 election as in the 1988 one, according to the New York Times.
So when USHCC’s #GuacTheVote initiative began, Audrey Maker and Tamale House East’s part owner Jose Valera teamed up to increase voter registration numbers in Texas’ Travis County. Focusing on areas with high concentrations of Latinos as well as a lot of foot traffic, at least two trucks will sell food as they typically do. But they’ll also have a Spanish speaker and a trained deputy registrar to make it easy for people to register.
“As a business owner, I want to stay apolitical,” Valera told the Statesman. “But this is not a partisan push – this is a voter registration push, and something we’d like to turn into a voter turnout push. It’ll be a success if we get 50 new voters.” Valera recruited two taco trucks as of last week, but he hopes to end up with at least five.
Similar efforts are underway in Houston ..............
Yara Simón
When the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce encouraged taco trucks to become voter registration centers, cities across the country followed suit. A few weeks ago, the USHCC set a plan into motion to increase Latino turnout following Latinos for Trump founder Marco Gutierrez’s disparaging comments about his own community. He claimed that Latino culture is so imposing that if it goes unchecked, we’ll soon have “taco trucks on every corner.”
With these words, he made his animosity toward Latinos known. But with taco trucks that double as registration centers, the community has decided to do something productive. Instead of getting upset, truck owners are providing a crucial service. With 27 million eligible Latino voters, we can help decide the election. However, Latinos have yet to come out to the polls in full force. The same percentage of eligible Latinos – 48 percent – voted in the 2012 election as in the 1988 one, according to the New York Times.
So when USHCC’s #GuacTheVote initiative began, Audrey Maker and Tamale House East’s part owner Jose Valera teamed up to increase voter registration numbers in Texas’ Travis County. Focusing on areas with high concentrations of Latinos as well as a lot of foot traffic, at least two trucks will sell food as they typically do. But they’ll also have a Spanish speaker and a trained deputy registrar to make it easy for people to register.
“As a business owner, I want to stay apolitical,” Valera told the Statesman. “But this is not a partisan push – this is a voter registration push, and something we’d like to turn into a voter turnout push. It’ll be a success if we get 50 new voters.” Valera recruited two taco trucks as of last week, but he hopes to end up with at least five.
Similar efforts are underway in Houston ..............
12 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
...immediately if not sooner. 
Mmmmm 