Taco trucks at every mosque facts for kids
Taco Trucks At Every Mosque (also known as #TacoTrucksAtEveryMosque) is a special project that began in Orange County, California. Its main goal is to bring together Muslim and Latino communities. They do this by sharing delicious food, especially tacos! The idea for these events came from Rida Hamida and Ben Vazquez. The very first event happened on June 3, 2017. Since then, these events have taken place all over California, and even in Mexico and Milwaukee.
How the Idea Started
In Orange County, California, many Latino people live there, making up about one-third of the residents. There are also about 120,000 Muslim people. Even though these groups are large, they didn't have much say in local politics.
Around 2016, both groups faced more unfair treatment and mean actions because of who they were. In the same year, a person named Marco Gutierrez from a group called Latinos for Trump made a comment. He said, "You're going to have taco trucks on every corner."
After Donald Trump became president, there was an increase in negative feelings towards immigrants and Muslims in America. This made Rida Hamida, a Muslim from Anaheim, California, and Benjamin Vazquez, a Latino from Santa Ana, California, meet. They started talking about how Muslims and Latinos could learn from each other.
Hamida and Vazquez thought about the idea of taco trucks. They also considered bringing Muslims to Mexican restaurants. In the end, they decided to bring taco trucks right to mosques. Using taco trucks, also called loncheras, was a way to support Latino businesses and culture. The "Taco Trucks At Every Mosque" events also help these two groups get to know each other better. This helps fight against any fear or misunderstanding about immigrant communities.
First Events and Growth
The very first event was held on June 3, 2017, at the Islamic Center of Santa Ana. It was a special dinner called an iftar, which is when Muslims break their fast during Ramadan. About 600 people came to this event. The halal tacos were given out for free to everyone who attended.
Just a few weeks later, a second event took place at the Islamic Society of Orange County. This time, 1,400 people showed up! The organizers raise money to pay for all the tacos. In 2017, they visited every mosque in Orange County during Ramadan. Ramadan is a time when Muslims focus on charity and giving back. So, the taco truck plan fit perfectly with the spirit of the month.
Even though these events focus on the Latino and Muslim communities, everyone is always welcome to join. One person at the second event hoped that "Taco Trucks At Every Mosque" would encourage more Muslims to attend Latino events too. Rida Hamida and Ben Vazquez promoted their events on Twitter using the hashtag, #TacoTrucksAtEveryMosque.
Spreading the Idea
The "Taco Trucks At Every Mosque" events have become very popular. They have now happened in many places, from Baja California in Mexico to Sacramento, California. These events have also taken place during Eid al-Adha, another important Muslim holiday.
The idea has even inspired others. A mosque in Milwaukee, called the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, decided to start its own version of the event. Even Marco Gutierrez, who first talked about "taco trucks on every corner," noticed. He posted a video on his Instagram saying, "I tried to warn you people. #TacoTrucksOnEveryCorning [sic] has mutated into #TacoTrucksatEveryMosque!" This shows how much the idea has grown and changed.
