1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,600 Speaker 1: Did you know that street vending in Mexico has pre 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Columbian roots and primarily took place in market places or tiangis. 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: So everything from ceramic cookware, cacao, vanilla, eggs, clothes, all 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: of it was sold, and one of the most popular 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:16,959 Speaker 1: items was tacos. 6 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: In today's episode, we explore the history of fucos and 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 2: street vending. My name is Eva Longoria and I am My. 8 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: De Gomez Racon and welcome to Hungry for History, a 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 1: podcast that explores our past and present through food. 10 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: On every episode, we'll talk about the history of some 11 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 2: of our favorite dishes, ingredients, and beverages. 12 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: So make yourself at home. 13 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 2: Ewen Britchell. 14 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: So they weren't always called tacos. I thought fuckos were 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: always called tacos. 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: No, they weren't always called tacos. So the concept of 17 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: a taco has existed for hundreds, maybe thousands of years, 18 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 2: but its exact origins are unknown. Some say that the 19 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 2: mere act of rolling food in adrtilla makes it a taco, 20 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 2: but the word bacco is actually relatively new. 21 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: So where did the taco originate? 22 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 3: Like? 23 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: Where does the word come from? 24 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 2: So, according to food historian Jeffrey Pilcher. He wrote a 25 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 2: book called Planet Taco, a Global History of Mexican Food. 26 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 2: He suggests that the word facco dates to the nineteenth 27 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: century and it first appears in the real Academiespaniola. The 28 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 2: Official Dictionary of the Spanish language, defined as a little 29 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: like a peg or a plug. Another theory is that 30 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 2: the word taco comes from the naulalco, meaning half, because 31 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: the ingredients are put in a taco in the center 32 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: of a dortilla, which is then folded in half. 33 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: That makes more sense to me the no wadal word. 34 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: It could be that glaco I mean that sounds I 35 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: mean claco, sounds like taco, and it means half. 36 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 2: But the other thing is that those those little pegs 37 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 2: or plugs. Miners in Mexico used to put these little 38 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 2: pegs with dynamite inside or with gunpowder inside. They would 39 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: roll them and they would put them in the mines. 40 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 2: They're basically little sticks of dynamite. So those were called tacos. 41 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: So this whole idea, and some of the first you know, 42 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 2: written recordings of facco were thatcos e minero minors tacos, 43 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: So it was sort of like this little bit of 44 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 2: dynamite that you're eating. So so that that's why there 45 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 2: are those two different theories. But the word itself dates 46 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,959 Speaker 2: to the nineteenth century, so it's not that old. 47 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, because because there's writings of Spanish conquistadores like Bernaldiez 48 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: del Castillo who mentions warm corn tortillas on mochte Zuma's table. 49 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,399 Speaker 1: So you know, it was discussed and that the tortillas 50 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,119 Speaker 1: were used as sort of a spoon. But that technique 51 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: of using like tortillas as a spoon, that's also in 52 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: like I said, in India, where they use the non 53 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: as a spoon. I mean, there's a lot of cultures 54 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: that use a piece of something as a spoon, exactly. Exactly. 55 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 2: Every culture has something, right, and every culture has something 56 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: that you you know, every street food, it's sort of 57 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 2: things that you eat with your hands as well. But 58 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 2: some can say that a taco, you know, that the 59 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: soul of the taco is the corn trtilla or the tortillya. 60 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 2: But the original tortillya, the original taco would have been 61 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:26,959 Speaker 2: with corn. 62 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. And then so in the early nineteenth century, a 63 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: lot of people began migrating to Mexico City, you know, 64 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: for opportunities or region bringing their regional cooking skills with them. 65 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: But every region obviously has different foods. In Mexico City 66 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: became a melting pot of tacos. And I've experienced this 67 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: because there's a taco a mercado on Saturdays near our 68 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: house in Mexico City, and you have Mitua tacos from 69 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: Mitua Kan that goes the Yucatan that goes it. Like 70 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: there's all these different stalls and every region is so different. 71 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: That is what's so interesting I feel about Mexico City 72 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: is that that it's such a melting pot of cuisines 73 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 2: from the entire country. And this is where I mean 74 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: you could say that the original tacco culture is in 75 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 2: these markets like the one that you're mentioning. You know 76 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 2: today one of the most famous pre colonial Tiangeese is 77 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: this marketplace of laate Logo that was in you know, 78 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 2: modern day sort of downtown Mexico City. But these danges 79 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 2: are are all over, like you have one by your 80 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 2: house in Mexico City. So this is this this culture 81 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 2: of street food, this culture of street food from all 82 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,799 Speaker 2: over the country has existed since the nineteenth century. 83 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 1: D'angi means what is that nawadl as well Tiangi. 84 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: Yes, the word Tangeese comes from the Nawall word getsli, 85 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 2: two words from the now ill word Gangetzli, which means 86 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 2: open air market and the amiki, which means to sell 87 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:04,679 Speaker 2: or trained. So the most important markets pre colonial market 88 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 2: was the one that's like and you could say that 89 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 2: they are modern day flea markets or modern day boigas, 90 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 2: modern day you know where you people come and sell 91 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: everything from food to clothes to cook wear, everything that 92 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 2: you could possibly find. But that was really the soul 93 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 2: of Mexico, when everybody would come together and buy what 94 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 2: they needed. One could argue that the Pinata District in 95 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 2: downtown Los Angeles is a modern day tianges. 96 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, I've been there and I love it, and I'm 97 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: so excited because Hungary for History got a chance to 98 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: talk to one of these vendors in the Pinnata district. 99 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: Her name is Mercell Sanchez. 100 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 4: Numbers Sanchez, so evenlante. 101 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 1: She is not only a businesswoman, but she's also an activist. 102 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: She's originally from the city of Buebla in Mexico. 103 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,359 Speaker 2: And she's been working at the Pinatta District for about 104 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 2: eighteen years. Mendo and she sells everything from baby clothes, 105 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 2: artistsan bags from Puebla. She sells Mexican candies, She sells 106 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,600 Speaker 2: hot dogs and chi la las mole esquitoes, and she 107 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 2: has the most amazing faccos dorados. She has chicken ones 108 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 2: and potato ones. I have the tacos Papa Crispy, just 109 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 2: she's frying them right there with his green salsa, like 110 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 2: raw fresh, bright green salsa and a little bit of 111 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 2: caeso fresco. Oh my god. 112 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: Even this topic of street vendors is so relevant today 113 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: because so many food venders are getting her arab by 114 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: the cops, by community. And one of the main reasons 115 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: she got into activism was because she witnessed food vendors 116 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: getting harassed by the cops and she saw their food 117 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: get thrown out, items that they had for sale get confiscated. 118 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 4: Yados, Yovia madress Alter. 119 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: She said she even witnessed people getting deported, like single 120 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: mothers crying after having their shops destroyed. 121 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really really devastating it and she was sort 122 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 2: of seeing this happening around her, seeing it happening, you know, 123 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 2: to her as well, just being harassed for for just 124 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 2: trying to make a living. So she told us that 125 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 2: she started asking questions like what what can I do? 126 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 2: Like what can be done? 127 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 4: On a who you that? 128 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 2: And a friend of her told her about an organization 129 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 2: that was trying to help them, and that's when she 130 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 2: found out about eLAC, which is the East LA Community 131 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: Corporation based in Boyle Heights and East LA. 132 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 4: Yeah like communis poso misikos oh. 133 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: Yes, So with the help of others, she started organizing 134 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: and she made a promise to herself. She said, I 135 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: don't care if this takes me twenty years, I'm going 136 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: to do it. Her husband even told her, like, who's 137 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: going to listen? You're just wasting your time, and she 138 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: told him, at least I'll have my head held high 139 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: knowing I did something because people don't know how much 140 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: we are suffering. 141 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 4: Latona. 142 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 2: Sure, it's really incredible, and you know, her hard work 143 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 2: paid off. It took ten years. It didn't take the 144 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 2: twenty years, but it took ten years, and in twenty eighteen, 145 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 2: the state passed a law legalizing sidewalk theings. 146 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: Well because of her hard work got Bravo to her. 147 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 2: Yes, she's incredible. Thanks to her hard work and she 148 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 2: was organizing people. When she went to that first meeting 149 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 2: at eLAC there were seven street vendors, and she realized, 150 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 2: there's no way that we're going to make a dent 151 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 2: if it's just seven of us. So she was going 152 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,319 Speaker 2: from vendor to vendor to vendor, spreading the word. It's 153 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:06,439 Speaker 2: like you do you know when it's time to vote. 154 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 2: She was going to every until she had hundreds of vendors. 155 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 2: They went to Sacramento and I mean they got these 156 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 2: lost past. 157 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: Wow. Well, if y'all are in Los Angeles, make sure 158 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: to check her out in the Pignata district. It's called 159 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: Sammy's e Lomas. Stop by and try that. 160 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 2: Don't go anywhere. We get into the history of street 161 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 2: vending in LA and the modern day struggle this community 162 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: is facing. 163 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 1: So winded street vending in Los Angeles begin it must 164 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: have been I mean, this must have been so long ago. 165 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 2: It was so the city of La was established in 166 00:09:55,559 --> 00:10:00,679 Speaker 2: seventeen eighty one, so long ago, but not that long ago. 167 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 2: But so Mexico lost California in eighteen forty eight in 168 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 2: the Mexican American War. 169 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: The entire Southwest California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada utahs. 170 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 3: Yea six yes, yeah. 171 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:18,199 Speaker 2: So by eighteen fifty, California was part of the US, 172 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 2: but La was only seventy years old at the time, 173 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 2: so it went from being this little Mexican pueblo to 174 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 2: a city with an Anglo majority in very short period 175 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 2: of time. In his book Los Angeles Street Food History 176 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 2: From Tamaledos to Taco Trucks by Farley Elliott, he says 177 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 2: that the first signs of street food in La emerge 178 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 2: after eighteen seventy six, when the Southern Pacific Railroad linked 179 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 2: the city to the rest of the US and the 180 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 2: city really began to come to life. So we start 181 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 2: seeing them male vendors, so not necessarily bacco vendors, but 182 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 2: we start seeing that male vendors selling from cart from 183 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 2: the little wagons in what is now downtown Los Angeles. 184 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: Well, and it's so interesting like at this time, like 185 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: by the eighteen nineties, there was already the city government 186 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 1: was already trying to sanction or severely limit and curb 187 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 1: theamal vendors, Chinese food vendors. They were really restricting them 188 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: from being able to sell or banishing it all together, 189 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: which obviously was reflected a larger issue of discrimination towards Mexican, Mexican, American, 190 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 1: Chinese any other, right, any other. So there was a 191 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: lot of early efforts to regulate street food, and by 192 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: the turn of the century, the city forced the model 193 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: cart owners to pay for operating licenses as a way 194 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:46,559 Speaker 1: to like weed them out. And this only helped destigmatize 195 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: the market for tamalies, but it didn't slow it down, 196 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: Like Mexican food was just too popular. They were like, 197 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: people wanted their tamals. Yeah, people wanted their tamalis. People 198 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: wanted the really good food. It was just, you. 199 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 2: Know, it was it was all about discriminating them. So 200 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 2: in nineteen ten, these segregation laws between white and non 201 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 2: white vendors limited the presence of Mexican and Chinese vendors 202 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 2: in downtown LA. So they continue to thrive outside of 203 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 2: the downtown area. But over time we start seeing these 204 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 2: you know, sit down restaurants, and these sit down restaurants 205 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 2: would further marginalized street vendors. But with each new wave 206 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 2: of immigrants came a new wave of street vending, you know, 207 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 2: rebirth of street vends. 208 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: Well, specifically the wave of Mexicans, you know, by the 209 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties that migrated to the US during the years, 210 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: obviously the Mexican Revolution having a big part of that, 211 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: but the tradition of like street bending is one that 212 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: travels with them, and so we start seeing more than 213 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: theamalies by this time, we start seeing the buckles, and 214 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:53,839 Speaker 1: you know that they were all the rage in La, 215 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 1: but like you see a lot of vendors. I the 216 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 1: first time I moved to La. My greatest memories Olvetta Street. 217 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: I love Olivetta Street. I went to a festival down 218 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: there and I was like, what is this place? And 219 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: Olvetta Street is one of the oldest streets, opened in 220 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty and there's so much history down there to 221 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: who could own the stalls. And if you look at 222 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: Olvetta Street, you'll see it's an alley and the storefronts 223 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: are on the other side. And what happened was Mexicans 224 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: weren't allowed to own a storefront in the nineteen thirties, 225 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: so they could sell in the back in the alley, 226 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: but they couldn't have a storefront, and the alley became 227 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: more popular than the storefront. And that's how old Vetta 228 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: Street became an icon and really a heritage site of 229 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. It's protected, it's celebrated now. So it's a 230 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: very I love Oletta Street. If you guys have a chance, 231 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: go check it out. 232 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 2: It's a very cool, very very cool place. I love 233 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:02,839 Speaker 2: it too. In her book, in the book Food, Health 234 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:07,559 Speaker 2: and Culture in Latino, Los Angeles by professor of LATINX 235 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 2: Food Studies Sarah Portnoy, she says that in the mid 236 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 2: nineteen thirties, Los Angeles band vending on sidewalks downtown and 237 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 2: then in major business districts, and she goes on to 238 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 2: say that these actions restricted sidewalk activity and made sidewalk 239 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 2: vending more challenging. During the course of the twentieth century, 240 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 2: then La became a car city. Pedestrians and vendors were 241 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 2: pushed off the sidewalks, and the streets lost this former 242 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 2: vibrancy and commerce. 243 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: So this c LA's a driving city. Like we're not 244 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: New York, We're not in York. No, it's not a 245 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: pedestrian city at all. And it's so sad. 246 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 2: And so this hostility towards street vendors grew and persisted 247 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 2: for decades. 248 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know, it's so funny because you know, 249 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 1: if you have ever flown into lax there's a Tom 250 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: Bradley terminal and it's the international terminal. And I've always like, oh, 251 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: why is the name Tom Bradley, Like I didn't really 252 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 1: understand why they were like, no, he was a really 253 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: good mayor and in the seventies, the La City Council 254 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: voted to ban sidewalk vending throughout the city. But it 255 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: was Tom Bradley who was the mayor that vetoed the 256 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: ordinance because he knew it would affect poor people and 257 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: he thought it was really important to encourage creating small 258 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: businesses and you know, giving poor people some economic mobility. 259 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:36,359 Speaker 1: I mean. Despite this, sidewalk vending was officially made illegal 260 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty and at the time, you know, street 261 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: food was banned. But then there was a spike in 262 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: migration and a demand for this cultural food again by 263 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: this wave of new immigrants, and so a lot of 264 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: times vendors were seen as criminals and a lot were 265 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: arrested and beaten and served jail time. The ban basically 266 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: turned vending into this political issue, and it motivated street 267 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: vendors to organize himself, and so a lot of I mean, 268 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: I think a lot of organizations were formed. But in 269 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty seven they began meeting and they established the 270 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: Association of Street Vendors AVA A Soires Ambulantes. It turned 271 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: into a political issue because street vending really bumps up 272 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: against immigration policies, police harassment, human rights issues, and so 273 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety four, the Special Sidewalk Vending District Ordinance 274 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: was enacted to allow selling in eight areas of Los 275 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: Angeles as part of this like pilot program. Even though 276 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: they did this, there were still like continuous harassment by 277 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: the LAPD, and you know, so the vendors continued to protest, 278 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: and you know, a lot of this still continues today. 279 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 2: This pilot program was in the nineties. Right in between 280 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 2: twenty ten and twenty nineteen, police arrested over forty three 281 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 2: thousand people for legal sidewalk But there's an estimated ten 282 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 2: to twelve thousand street food vendors in LA selling everything 283 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 2: from bacon wrap hot dogs, take seti yas to thut 284 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 2: galls fruit all over Los Angeles, you know, and you wonder, 285 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 2: like why do they continue to do this despite risking fines, 286 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 2: police harassment, even imprisonment. Most of them are documented and 287 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 2: have very few employment alternatives, and they need to provide 288 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 2: for their family in street vending offers them this economic mobility. 289 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 2: I mean, they are these incredible entrepreneurs. I mean, they 290 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 2: do so much. 291 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: I mean, and street vending is technically legal in Los 292 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 1: Angeles now, but all the vendors say the permit is 293 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 1: so out of reach because it's either too expensive, you know, 294 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: the process to get one is super deterearing from getting one, 295 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: and so they still have a lot of a lot 296 00:17:56,359 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: of challenges and I think, you know, operating without a 297 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:05,639 Speaker 1: permit is sometimes the only option because they have to 298 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 1: make a living. 299 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 2: LA City Council approved a measure to decriminalize street vending, 300 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,480 Speaker 2: So that was twenty eighteen, and this was with the 301 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 2: Safe Sidewalk Vending Act called SB ninety six. And then 302 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty two, s B nine seventy two was passed, 303 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 2: and this attempted, you know, to facilitate greater access to 304 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 2: food vendors. But like you said, some of these permits 305 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:32,719 Speaker 2: are just impossible. 306 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 1: Hungary. First, we got a chance to talk to the 307 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:49,959 Speaker 1: executive Director of Inclusion Action, Rudy Aspinosa, to talk to 308 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: us about what his organization is doing to support the 309 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: street vendor movement. 310 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 2: Tell us who you are and how your organization helps 311 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 2: support the street vendor movement in Los Angeles. 312 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,880 Speaker 3: Sure, my name is Rudy. I serve as the executive 313 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 3: director of Inclusive Action for the city. Inclusive Action is 314 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 3: an economic justice organization that really focuses on getting capital 315 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 3: into the hands of people that haven't had it before. 316 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 3: We're a certified financial institution. We're a community development financial institution. 317 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 3: So a big piece of the work that we do 318 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 3: is we provide micro loans and business coaching to entrepreneurs 319 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 3: that include street vendors but also breaking mortar businesses. And 320 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 3: we also have a division to focus on policy advocacy, 321 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 3: and we prioritize that because we know to reach economic justice, 322 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 3: we have to address the systems that have caused income 323 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 3: inequality in our city and in our country, and so 324 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 3: as part of that advocacy work, one of the campaigns 325 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 3: we've worked on over the last decade is the effort 326 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 3: to leadalized stream vending. We're one of the co founders 327 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 3: of the La Street Vendor campaign in the most recent 328 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:02,679 Speaker 3: California Street Vendor campaign. 329 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 2: What is happening right now within the street vendors or 330 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 2: among the street vendors that you think people should be 331 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 2: most aware of. 332 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 3: I think that people should know that street vendors have 333 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 3: been struggling for many, many years, decades even to be 334 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 3: included formally in our economy. This has been even beyond 335 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 3: our work. There's been many people in other generations that 336 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 3: have worked on trying to legalize street ending in Los Angeles. 337 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 3: And what I want people to know is that there's 338 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 3: a history here that's beyond many of us, and I 339 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 3: want folks to know that in the last few years 340 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 3: that there have been great strides forward due to the 341 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 3: work of the coalition and street vendor leaders in our city. 342 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 3: Starting in twenty sixteen, we began to pass policies in 343 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 3: Los Angeles and in California that have created pathways for 344 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 3: street vendors to finally get permits. In twenty eighteen, Senate 345 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:58,640 Speaker 3: Bill nine forty six pass that was championed by then 346 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 3: Senator Ricarolata, decriminalized sidewalk meaning throughout the state of California 347 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 3: and ask cities to create systems for sidewalk vendors. And 348 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 3: in this past year, we passed Senate BIL nineteen seventy 349 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 3: two with Center Arena Gonzalez, they change the retail food 350 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 3: Code to support street food vendors that we're having a 351 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 3: hard time getting public health permits. So people should know 352 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 3: that there's these new laws in place that the entire 353 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 3: state of California is getting adjusted to, and so folks 354 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 3: should be optimistic, but we also should be really vigilant 355 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 3: because just because we pass this laws doesn't mean that 356 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,920 Speaker 3: everything's amazing now. Now our focus is really about making 357 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 3: sure these laws are implemented properly. And so we just 358 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 3: have this big passage this past year for street food vendors, 359 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 3: but the county health departments throughout the state of California 360 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 3: and cities have to learn what this law is about 361 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 3: and how to implement it properly. And so that's the work. 362 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 3: The work continues on for all advocates, is to make 363 00:21:53,720 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 3: sure that we're holding our cities accountable to these new regulations. 364 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 2: So what can one do to help you? 365 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:12,359 Speaker 3: You're hosting a podcast, and I think we need people 366 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 3: like you that are elevating stories. We need people that 367 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 3: are designers that are thinking differently about how we design 368 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 3: our cities and how do we design virtual environments for 369 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 3: people to tell stories. We need activists, we need community organizers, 370 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,679 Speaker 3: we need lawmakers. So my ask to friends that say 371 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 3: that they want to get involved is to consider what 372 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 3: is your gift and what's your skill and how can 373 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 3: you contribute that skill to a coalition. And so once 374 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 3: you identify how you want to help, I would say, 375 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 3: get plugged in. There's a lot of amazing activists out 376 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 3: here in organizations that are doing really great work. If 377 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 3: you're interested in microfinance, you have inclusive Action. If you're 378 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 3: interested in community organizing, you have organizations like Community Power 379 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 3: Collective and Cheat Lab that are focused on immigr rights. 380 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 3: If you're a lawyer, we work with an amazing team 381 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 3: of public Health so to provide free legal services to 382 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 3: street vendors and other businesses. And so there's there's so 383 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 3: many ways to get plugged in. And so what I 384 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 3: tell people is like find your skill and then think 385 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 3: about who are to try to learn about the organizations 386 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,439 Speaker 3: that are already doing work and just you know, you know, 387 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 3: get get involved with them. They need your. 388 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 2: Help buying from them as well, just on that scale. 389 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 2: But then also and. 390 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,880 Speaker 3: Tip them and tip them, yeah, totally and tip them, 391 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 3: and I think, you know, the one third thing that 392 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 3: I want to tell folks that are listening is the 393 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,639 Speaker 3: role of our lawmakers. Our lawmakers are dealing with the 394 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 3: variety of priorities and maybe in competing priorities. Here in 395 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:41,879 Speaker 3: LA we have a huge housing crisis, for example, and 396 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 3: homelessness is a huge priority for all of us, or 397 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 3: it should be. And I think that if somebody cares 398 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 3: about street vendors or small businesses or food entrepreneurs, we 399 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 3: have to make sure those lawmakers hear from us, and 400 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 3: they often probably they probably don't. So the more that 401 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:02,640 Speaker 3: any constituent call their local city council member or their 402 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 3: state senator their assembly and says, hey, this is where 403 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,679 Speaker 3: I live. You represent me. I'm really concerned about the 404 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 3: street vendor on the corner here, and I want to 405 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 3: make sure that they have what they need. What are 406 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 3: you doing about that? Once we ask questions to our 407 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 3: elected leaders, it plans to seed in their mind that 408 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 3: they need to work on that. And unfortunately, in the 409 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 3: early days of the campaign, when we were asking leaders 410 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 3: to step up, they would say, nobody's complaining about this, 411 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 3: so why should I prioritize this. Nobody's saying anything about 412 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,920 Speaker 3: street vendors. And so the more we call and engage, 413 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:39,400 Speaker 3: the better. There's a lot of amazing folks on social 414 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 3: media now that are showing telling stories or covering the 415 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 3: harassment the vendors are facing. Those are all things that 416 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 3: contribute to lawmakers paying attention. 417 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 2: If there was one word to describe the people that 418 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 2: were a street vendors, what would that. 419 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 3: Word to be. I'm sorry, I'm kind of pausing because 420 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 3: I'm a little bit I'm a little sort of moved 421 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 3: by the question. I'm thinking about an entrepreneur that I 422 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 3: just got a Slack conment for my colleague. My colleague 423 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 3: about my word is visionary. And the comment that I 424 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 3: got in our organizational chat is one of our borrowers 425 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:29,920 Speaker 3: who had a mobile was a mobile vendor. They came 426 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,360 Speaker 3: to us years ago and they were like barely breaking even. 427 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 5: With their business, and they applied for a loan and 428 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:42,199 Speaker 5: they wanted to basically buy out the loan that they 429 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 5: had on their little hitch truck, on a little trailer 430 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 5: that was connected to the pickup truck. 431 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 3: And they were, you know, trying to figure it out. 432 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 3: They're like, we work hard, and like I were cooking 433 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 3: for people and I'm just not making it work. And 434 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 3: so I just got a note of like, how well 435 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 3: they're doing now. It's like three or four years later 436 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 3: and they sold that that mobile facility, and I think 437 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 3: that they're opening up a brick and mortar now and 438 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 3: it's like they're doing well. And I think the entrepreneurs 439 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 3: in our city, in our communities are visionary people that 440 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 3: in the face of so many obstacles for their family, 441 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,880 Speaker 3: they're saying, I'm not going to give up. I'm still 442 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 3: going to get out here. I'm going to be on 443 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 3: the public right away on the sidewalk. That's scary to 444 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 3: put yourself out there, think about the vulnerability that's required. 445 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 3: And they're saying, I'm going to continue to struggle because 446 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:34,400 Speaker 3: I see I envision something better, and man, how can 447 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:35,400 Speaker 3: we not support them? 448 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:36,119 Speaker 5: You know? 449 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 3: Is what I think. So visionary is my word for them. 450 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:51,920 Speaker 2: That is beautiful. Thank you so much, Rudy. 451 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:50,640 Speaker 1: Don't go anywhere, hungry for history will be right back. 452 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: So I think this is a dumb question. When did 453 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,400 Speaker 1: tacos become popular in LA because I feel like in 454 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: the founding of LA it must be in the constitution. 455 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 2: Now well by the thirties, the tacos were you know, 456 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 2: it's just the wave of immigrants from Mexico that we're 457 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 2: bringing their foods with them. And by the nineteen thirties 458 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 2: that goes, we're super popular in Los Angeles, from trucks 459 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:29,879 Speaker 2: to sidewalk set up. 460 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: And it's funny, yeah, it's funny that you say trucks 461 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: because you know, the taco truck is like the famous thing. Actually, 462 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 1: food trucks in general were birthed out of street vendors, right, 463 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: and so you gourmet these gourmet food trucks now and 464 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: it's almost a bit of a gentrification, right of any 465 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 1: migrant food because all most of the street vendors is 466 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:59,560 Speaker 1: immigrant food. And now you have, you know, these very 467 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:03,120 Speaker 1: popular food trucks and food truck festivals, right, like I mean, 468 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:06,159 Speaker 1: and these these trucks are like decked out and for 469 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 1: some reason that's okay, right, that's accepted, that's supplotted and embraced. 470 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 1: But you know, if you look at sidewalk setups, it's like. 471 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, they don't have the trucks don't have the stigma, 472 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:25,160 Speaker 2: you know, because they were the original the Loncetas. They 473 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,360 Speaker 2: were the damal vendor from the turn of the century 474 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 2: became the loncera and you would see them parked. You 475 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:36,919 Speaker 2: still see them sort of when they were construction workers, 476 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 2: so they're parked outside. 477 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: You still have the. 478 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 2: Ones that are not all you know, made for hipsters, 479 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 2: that are for Mexican Mexicican American construction workers, so you 480 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 2: still see them, but now there are so many. I 481 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 2: think it started I would say, what like around two 482 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 2: thousand and seven or eight with the with the Kim 483 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 2: Chica set, yeahs Roy Troy, the Koji truck. And then 484 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 2: with the rise of social media, places like East Los 485 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 2: Angeles starting to become gentrified, like you said so, and 486 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,760 Speaker 2: then with social media you have the truck saying I'm 487 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 2: going to be here, I'm going to be there. So 488 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 2: it kind of went hand in hand. And now the 489 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 2: food trucks they still face a struggle, not as much 490 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 2: as the street vendors, but now they're they're super hip. 491 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 2: I mean the Mariscos Carliscos, which is one of my 492 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 2: favorite trucks in the city, food trucks in the city. 493 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 2: The late Jonathan Gold featured them in the list of 494 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 2: one hundred and one best restaurants in La It's a 495 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 2: truck and it's not a hipster truck. It's just a 496 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 2: really good truck. They have the best trimp tacos in 497 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 2: the city. 498 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: What's your favorite kind of taco? 499 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:42,959 Speaker 2: Oh my, I love tacosaso. 500 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: I think I have me too, I do. Oh God, 501 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 1: I'm a big Tacos al Pastor fan. You know why 502 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: because they're the most similar to Mexico, like the Mexico 503 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: City tacos that I have, Tacos Pastor. I can have 504 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: them in East and it's pretty much the same. 505 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 4: Mmm. 506 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: They're consistent across borders. They're so good. 507 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 2: There's a truck called There are two places where I 508 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 2: get my tacos at Pasta Fixed in La Leos Tacos they're. 509 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: All over yeah yeah. 510 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 2: And then there's one I don't know what it's called, 511 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 2: but it's across the street from Lows on Pico Boulevard 512 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 2: with just the pineapple and lime juice and some radish. 513 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: That's my Yeah. I like for taco. I like the pineapple, 514 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: onions and cilantro. So what is for you? What's the 515 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,320 Speaker 1: soul of the taco, the tortilla or the filling? What 516 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: I'm the it's the filling, the tortilla is the same. 517 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 2: No, because if you don't have a really good tortilla, 518 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 2: then like if you take you pick up the taco 519 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 2: and the falls apart. 520 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:47,000 Speaker 1: You're right, You're right, You're right, You're right. Yeah, you've 521 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: ruined the experience, right Yeah. Yeah. Also, also you're right 522 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: because my chicken tacos pepped loves because mine are America 523 00:30:55,040 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: American eyed, because mine's not the taco bell taco, but 524 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: it's not the just heat the tortilla, the corn tortilla up, 525 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: I fry the corn tortilla. So it's I had to 526 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,200 Speaker 1: be taco when I wasn't. 527 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 2: When I met you in Spain, you made them. They 528 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:12,080 Speaker 2: were incredible. 529 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's crying of the tortilla. So you're right. I 530 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: actually have to agree with you. Tortillas pretty I think 531 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: it's fifty to fifty then, but I actually think it's 532 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 1: I think it's thirty three thirty three thirty three because 533 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: this alsa makes a big difference. 534 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 2: To the sasa makes a huge difference, and the fresh 535 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 2: lime juice. I feel like I can't have a taco 536 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 2: without squeezing some lime on it. 537 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, if anybody has seen my searching for Mexico, 538 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 1: Mexico City episode. We did a taco tour in Mexico 539 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: City and they're so like you said, Mexico City is 540 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 1: really the melting pot of all the tacos of the country. 541 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 1: And I went with the taco blogger and it was 542 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: like she knew exactly where to go. The guy that's 543 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: there that makes the the sweating tacos, what. 544 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 3: Is it. 545 00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 1: Cansta? Yes, yes, which was I've never had one, never 546 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:06,320 Speaker 1: had one either, And he had three different ones and 547 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 1: they were hot and warm, and he'd been there all 548 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: morning and he brought this all this stuff from his 549 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: house and I'm like, surely this is going to be 550 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: like eh, because you know it's two hours old or whatever. Nope, 551 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,320 Speaker 1: it was. They were still warm, warm and delicious, and 552 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: he had these different salsas and oh, man, do you 553 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: know that. 554 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 2: One of the earliest photographs of a taco from ne 555 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 2: Thean nineteen twenties is a woman selling those tacos a canasta. 556 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 2: So basically, they put the tacos in a basket and 557 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 2: then cover it with like some sort of plastic and 558 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 2: they know they with towels and they don't get soggy. 559 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: They're super soft. And that's why it's a good tortilla 560 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 1: because it doesn't fall apart. We hope you guys enjoyed 561 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: this episode. I know I did. I'm actually super hungry now. 562 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 1: I think I'm going to make myself some chicken tacos. 563 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you all for listening. 564 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: Hungary for History is an unbelievable entertainment production in partnership 565 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: with Iheart'smi Kultura podcast network. 566 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 2: For more of your favorite shows, visit the iHeartRadio app, 567 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.