UPDATE: An interview with Taco Cid’s owner, Leanne Snelgrove, has been added to the bottom of this post.
UPDATE 2: Taco Cid has updated their website again to announce that they will now only “except”[sic] media inquiries from Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. What a fun interview that would be!
A Mexican restaurant in South Carolina is raising eyebrows for its T-shirts depicting “how to catch an illegal immigrant” — with old-style box traps using tacos as bait.
Taco Cid is located on Charleston Highway in West Columbia. On Sunday, the Free Times’ Corey Hutchins posted a photo of someone who appears to be a Taco Cid employee wearing the offensive shirt. If the shirt’s meaning isn’t clear enough, the letters are colored with the red, white and green of the Mexican flag.
Taco Cid used to have at least four locations in South Carolina, but is now down to just the one in West Columbia. Since it’s safe to say the owner isn’t going out of his way to attract an authentic Latino clientele, it’s not exactly hard to see why.
After Palmetto Public Record’s story on the racist T-shirts went national on Monday, Taco Cid updated its website to respond to the controversy. ”Our t-shirts were created as a witty and comical statement regarding ILLEGAL immigrants,” the statement reads. “There are NO racial nor hate remarks towards any specific ethnic group.”
This is, of course, a bald-face lie, since the T-shirts are clearly aimed at Latinos. As we reported above, the lettering uses the colors of the Mexican flag — and the taco trap wouldn’t make much sense if the shirt was referring to illegal immigrants from, say, Canada. Whatever the restaurant may have intended, the shirts’ racist imagery is an offensive swipe at all Latinos.
The statement goes on to say that Taco Cid’s “food is fresh prepared and served in the SAME QUALITY and QUANTITY, regardless of your race, religion or political views.” Though given the restaurant’s one-star rating, that’s not exactly saying much.
“As most tax paying Americans, we do believe ILLEGAL immigrants are taxing the system we support and live under, thereby, causing us to work harder and pay more taxes in support of their illegal activities which our government has simply chosen to look the other way.”
In addition to being a run-on sentence, this point is wildly misleading. As Palmetto Public Record reported back in June, undocumented immigrants actually contribute a great deal to a state’s economy — and removing them through deportation or draconian immigration policies would have an equally chilling effect on the recovering economy:
About 445,000 undocumented immigrants were living in Arizona as of 2008, according to Pew Hispanic Center data. That year, Arizona’s undocumented workforce added more than $42 billion to the state’s economic output — the total value of all goods and services produced in the economy. Much of that economic benefit came as tax revenue, with undocumented workers contributing an estimated $2.8 billion in total taxes to Arizona’s economy, including nearly $1.8 billion in sales tax revenue alone.
In fact, the output and spending of just undocumented workers generated 581,000 Arizona jobs in 2008 — something legal residents can appreciate as well.
The Pew Hispanic Center estimated that only 55,000 undocumented immigrants were living in South Carolina as of 2010, or about 12 percent of the size of Arizona’s population. Still, adding 12 percent of $42 billion to South Carolina’s economy is no small amount (it’s $5.04 billion, to be exact) in a state that is still struggling more than others to recover from the ongoing recession.
Taco Cid’s statement also asks, “Is it racist to disagree with those who are not supporting the American system?” No, it isn’t — but Taco Cid’s offensive T-shirt is not a political statement. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when you use racist imagery to convey your point, that’s when you cross the line.
Taco Cid’s owner, Leanne Snelgrove, spoke to WIS-TV Tuesday afternoon:
Do you know where I can get one of those T-shirts?
Logan has one in his closet.
Joe
Logan Smith is getting some illegal taco on the side. That’s why he’s so “outraged”.
Says on their website:
Yes, our shirts are for sale to the public.
Call Taco Cid (803) 794-4008. Or come see us for lunch or dinner.
tacocid.com
I don’t know where you can get that but you can get an “illegal immigration started in 1492″ shirt at Ban T-shirts. Beats the hell out of Taco Cid’s t-shirt.
STFU, libtard. Whites were here first.
No they weren’t
Yes they were. Google “Solutreans.”
It’s so funny when you have an ignorant person “thinking” they are right. Just sit back and laugh.
Glen you can get the T-shirts here: http://www.facebook.com/TacoCidTshirts
Call the place…. I just ordered 2
Disgusting. Glad there’s none near me.
Racists are pathetic.
Those who call people racist are usually jewish, black, hispanic or some other minority.
Which one are you?
btw – everyone is a racist to some degree.
And? What point does that prove?
That he’s a racist.
That anti-white racism is a much bigger problem than white racism.
When was the last time you were by-passed for promotion, denied service, stopped by police for a little excuse, followed you in the store because they suspect of your race.
Please! Racism against white? In the south? Really?
Two problems with your statement.
When you say “people”you are referring to people that looks like you.
First. You demonstrate with your language that “your people” is better than others and minorities are less than you.
I truly believe that you need to feel in your own skin how it feels to be discriminated. Not once, but a life time of undeserved hate that breaks your soul.
Second; “everyone is a racist to some degree” statement is your cry for help, to validate and justify your acknowledgement that you are in fact a racist.
This is the part that takes the cake!
You are in need of therapy. Truly a danger to society. 1930′s Germany was full of “people” like you.
God Bless you and give forgiveness.
If you seriously believe that white people never fall victim to racial hatred, then you need to go to the Department of Justice’s website and look up the statistics on interracial violence. Only a deep hatred of whites can explain those statistics, especially the stats on interracial rape.
Crime Rates
•Blacks are seven times more likely than people of other races to commit murder, and eight times more likely to commit robbery.
•When blacks commit crimes of violence, they are nearly three times more likely than non-blacks to use a gun, and more than twice as likely to use a knife.
•Hispanics commit violent crimes at roughly three times the white rate, and Asians commit violent crimes at about one quarter the white rate.
•The single best indicator of violent crime levels in an area is the percentage of the population that is black and Hispanic.
Interracial Crime
•Of the nearly 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year involving blacks and whites, blacks commit 85 percent and whites commit 15 percent.
•Blacks commit more violent crime against whites than against blacks. Forty-five percent of their victims are white, 43 percent are black, and 10 percent are Hispanic. When whites commit violent crime, only three percent of their victims are black.
•Blacks are an estimated 39 times more likely to commit a violent crime against a white than vice versa, and 136 times more likely to commit robbery.
•Blacks are 2.25 times more likely to commit officially-designated hate crimes against whites than vice versa.
Gangs
•Only 10 percent of youth gang members are white.
•Hispanics are 19 times more likely than whites to be members of youth gangs. Blacks are 15 times more likely, and Asians are nine times more likely.
Incarceration
•Between 1980 and 2003 the US incarceration rate more than tripled, from 139 to 482 per 100,000, and the number of prisoners increased from 320,000 to 1.39 million.
•Blacks are seven times more likely to be in prison than whites. Hispanics are three times more likely.
——————————————————————————–
Not as pathetic as self-hating anti-racists.
BTW: For those employees who are being forced to wear this shirt, please consult an employment lawyer or the EEOC immediately; you have an actionable case.
Make the resturant pay, they are already suffering, surely going out of business is better than them making a statement about “illegals”.
Joe
So, you don’t believe in the 1st Amendendment?
Choosing to take your business elsewhere because you do not agree with the statement they are making is not in violation of the 1st or any amendment.
You can’t even spell the word “amendment” correctly, but you think you are qualified to speak about it?? No.
Libtarded Obongo-voting morons like you will be the death of this country.
The t-shirt says you will catch “illegal” imigrants. Wanting to catch “illegals” does not make one a racist.
Joe
If this won’t make you a racist, then what will make you?
There are a few words that might fit.
Ignorant. Insensitive. Anti-Christian. Un-civilized. Tea Party fanatic. Antiquated. Lost Confederate Soldier. History drop-out. Nazi.
It will make you someone who is tired of the legal employees of the USofA paying for cash, food, medical, day care, school, clothing, rent, utilties, and car repairs for someone who is stealing SSN’s and DOBs.
And anyone who thinks that white Candians, Asians, or Spaniards are the illegal immigrants, get your head out of your liberal sandbox and join reality.
My aunt’s cousin, who came down via Canada and is of Portuguese and Amazonian Indian descent, was deported for overstaying his visa.
So WRONG try again.
The northeast is bloated with illegal Micks and Brits.
There are plenty of “whites” in the system too. Get your facts straight before you argue a point with no knowledge.
That last sentence makes __you__ a racist.
Are they holding a libtard convention here? I’ve never seen such a conglomeration of people with zero common sense, except maybe at NPR.
Say Belen, you so-called “Hispanics” really are full of yourselves, aren’t you. No wonder more and more people want the border land-mined.
No. I’m a retired USAF MSgt with 25 years of active duty service.
After traveling around the world I end up at Shaw AFB.
To my surprise this part of our great nation continues to hold on to ideas that have been proven wrong time and time again.
T-Shirts with an animal trap and tacos for bait is in fact not a surprise for me, makes me sad that I served my country for people that have no respect for human dignity.
Those “illegals” have no other way to come to the US. They do lots of jobs that Americans will not do. Keeping our food prices low. Paying taxes and unable to collect full benefits.
Our immigration laws are obsolete, the last comprehensive immigration reform was signed by LBJ 1964.
But here is the good news, without the Hispanic vote and support, republicans and there extreme policies they support have no chance to win the White House. .
Demographics are changing in our favor.
If you think land mines arevthe solution, your intellectual capacity is on question.
Over 40% of undocumented are visa overstays. They enter the US thru a port of entry and were inspected by customs and immigration officials.
Take Boston Logan airport or JFK in NYC. More undocumented entered thru their gates than across the border in Texas.
To conclude, b’cause I don’t need to waste to much time on the mine guy, the south needs to get a clear message; racism is wrong and is against Christian’s Values.
So, think again about your stupid statement about mines.
Have a nice day.
@Belen A person that overstays their visa IS documented. The govt has their fingerprints circa 2004 they are easily traceable. Often, background checks were undertaken before granting of visa. Folks who sneak across the border are unvetted. Guy at construction site in your very own neighborhood could be a paedophile or serial killer. Take a moment and let the ramifications of 12,000,000 illegals sink in. Many who stubbornly refuse to assimilate and learn English.
Wanting to catch “illegals” does not make one racist. But proclaiming that these “illegals” are Hispanic *is* racist. And very clearly, too.
See above comment. Candians don’t illegally immigrate to the US.
In my job I’ve met people who overstayed their visas or entered the country illegally from Canada, Russia, Germany, Brazil, France, Poland, Georgia and the list goes on. The Canadian border is by most part an open wasteland, where anybody from any country can cross into the US. Pot smuggling is common. However, we do not hear an outcry for closing that border. I do believe that the skin color of those coming from that side does not scare this people as much as the skin color of people coming from the southern border.
yo, Vuey? Lesson of the day: There’ are many other foreign nationalities aside from Canadian and Mexican.
It’s a TACO. How full of it do you have to be to try to pretend that this isn’t directed at hispanics? (Answer: as full of it as a racist usually is)
Of course it is. We want the ugly brown squat monster invaders out. Pronto!
Not possible. We are too many.
Its time for you to take a deep breath and relax.
We are here to stay and this nation of ours is a bilingual, we are over 50 millions.
Everyday we are growing stronger, smarter, and gaining political power.
Too bad of you don’t like it.
Thats not a bloody taco.
The “illegal” part makes a distinction; therefore, discriminating. The immigrant part deals with someone not of this country, but from another group, again making a distinction, so yeah, it’s racist.
The “illegal” part makes a distinction; therefore, discriminating. The immigrant part deals with someone not of this country, but from another group, again making a distinction, so yeah, it’s racist.
btw: the CATCH part is the dead give away.
These 2 tacos are like the hot doughnuts for Jas Si and the crew of Duck Dynasty. Worth the wait and you will drive miles for them!!!!
Glad you can only draw parallels with redneck reality TV. That really legitimizes your claim!
where can i order some?:
relax all very funny …whats wrong with a bit of fun.
Libtards have no sense of humor. They hate all straight White males.
When it comes at the expense of other races. See also ethnicity, sex, gender, and class.
That trap would also work well for all obese Americans!
Great T-shirt! I may make a special trip to SC to support the lone surviving restaurant. This shirt is less offensive than Obama and the Democrats attempts to reward these criminals (illegal aliens) in order to keep building their voter base at the expense of our country. I am not crazy about the Republicans, but, at least for now, they are not falling all over themselves trying to grant citizenship to a bunch of people who have no loyalty to the United States.
no, instead they’re falling all over themselves refusing to give relief aid to american citizens whose homes have flooded or washed away.
You cant vote unless you’re a full citizen of this country. Did you fall asleep in civics class? Also, this is when it gets racist because the Democratic Party does have a lot of support from the Hispanic community and your comment then could lead one to believe that Hispanics are “illegal”. Plus, being undocumented is not a criminal offense but a civil one.
Illegal immigration is indeed a crime. See http://goo.gl/jAO3e
Gee — let’s use a rightwing group’s interpretation as a source. Yup, that’ll work to get lots of respect
The “right wing group” didn’t write the law, pendejo, Congress did.
Ah, cabron, if Congress wrote that law, then why didn’t you cite it instead of some rightwing group’s interpretation of it?
Give us a break, little guy — keep this conversation to adults who know how to cite actual sources.
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.f6da51a2342135be7e9d7a10e0dc91a0/?CH=act&vgnextchannel=fa7e539dc4bed010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&vgnextoid=fa7e539dc4bed010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD
thank you for providing a source which confirms the above claim that being an undocumented or expired Visa foreigner is not a criminal offense.
Well if that is the case, you must be breaking the law. This country belonged to the Native Americans, before it was taken over. So unless you are Native American or of Native American Descent, you might want to be careful because YOU are ILLEGAL. Elementary History, look that up.
Offensive?? Are you kidding me…………….this is freakin hilarious!!
Hey, another Chik-Fil-A for all the loons to flock to… keep on stuffin’ yer faces, y’all.
Don’t you have some a$$hole to ream, faqqot?
Yeah! That’s a good argument method!! When our lack of intellect resonates and prevents us from making any factual reply, we’ll just call everyone dirty names! Hee hee! That’ll show ‘em! Ooops….bell’s ringing; we better get back to class or we’ll get a detention.
I find it amusing that Taco Cid thinks its “clarification” somehow makes this less ridiculous or offensive. Oh, they’re illegal immigrants! Now I get using taco traps! That’s not racist!
Come on.
as a latino myself, im not offended. see, not all latinos are affected! this is clearly geared towards mexicans, not all latinos. not all latinos are mexicans, so stop speaking for all of us!
You’re missing the point, I’m also not Mexican, but Hispanic as well, and It affects ALL Latinos!,so we should all be offended.
a dude named logan smith, the whitest name ive ever heard, is writing an article about how latinos feel, yeah right logan. mr smiths descendants popped off the mayflower i bet.
Love the shirt and sense of humor !!!!! We need more humor in these politically correct / corrupt times. An added bonus is that it gets the “thought police” all upset…it’s so easy to do….hahahahaha
Wow
She needs to lay off the Tacos.
Being against people coming illegally from Mexico is not racist. Mexico is a country, not a race. It is no secret that people immigrate here illegally from Mexico with the complete knowledge and assistance of the Mexican government. The money sent back to Mexico by Illegal immigrants is the second largest source of income for Mexico. Only oil sales tops the US currency going south. The money is illegally earned here and spent elsewhere,.
You’re correct. Anyone who disagrees with you is ignorant. The people who refute you and who are against these t-shirts have no life experience, they wouldn’t know truth if it hit them in the face, and they’re in touch with their feelings. They want things their way. They want a one-world belief system. They want, want, want. And most of ‘em are stupid. They don’t know how to handle adversity or negativity. BLah blah blah…. they’re just a bunch of fuckin’ sissy faggots. Fuck ‘em.
People need to stop being pussies. If you don’t like it, don’t go there. Don’t look at the shirts. Don’t allow your children to go there. Problem solved. They have a right to wear these t-shirts as some of the border-jumpers I’ve seen wearing “YOLO” t-shirts and whatnot.
I’d be more concerned with the actual illegal immigration going on. I’d be more concerned with the gang violence most illegals participate in. I’d be more concerned with who we want as American citizens. I’d be more concerned with that ignorant “rap music” these turds listen to.
It’s just a fucking t-shirt. Stop being a bunch of cunts.
I have to say that your juvenile, guttural comments here are even more offensive than the discriminatory words on that shirt. Here’s a tip for you — you’re not doing a good job of defending the restaurant.
Holy shit, after looking through some of the comments and seeing the ratings — there are a bunch of gigantic fucking Gestapo thumbs-down faggots. Holy fuck. Grow some balls, people. Not everything in this world is candy and roses.
wow u must be like a bad word wizard harry
To all people out there!!!! The only real Americans citizens are Indians ….. So That makes all of the rest!!! Immigrants!!!!!!
My family’s been in the United States almost since the Revolution. I have to wonder how long we’d have to be here before you’d concede we’re no longer immigrants.
So called “native Americans” came from frickin’ Asia, genius. Over 90% of the current US population was born here (IOW they are not “immigrants”). Sheesh!
Laughable, name me one US city built by Indians? There are none! This country was founded and built by white Europeans numbnuts
More than racism that is flat out xenophobia. Just like hitler’s. I’m sure those ignorant rednecks will have to use the dictionary for that one.
Well, here’s a word for you to look up: ethnomasochism. It fits you perfectly.
“Xenophobia?” Hardly. What you are apparently referring to is not a fear of foreigners, but a population fed up and pissed off over an outright invasion from south of the border and Comrade ObaMao’s complicity in the situation.
Let’s start by calling them what they are, ILLEGALS, not ‘undocumented” immigrants.
Illegal aliens are not “immigrants.” Immigrants arrive legally, they don’t break into the country and proceed to squat and filch at will. Nope, ILLEGAL ALIENS are criminals and parasites, one and all. Practically everything they do on U.S. soil is illegal. They need to be ferreted out, rounded up like cattle, punished for their numerous crimes, then booted back to whence they snuck in from with such extreme prejudice that they will never, ever think of violating our sovereignty again. Build a wall and deport ‘em all. Enough is enough.
illegal anchor baby spewing turds
All of you who are getting upset over this t-shirt: Are you this upset over “Django Unchanged?” Did you get upset when the film’s star, Jamie Foxx went on “Saturday Night Live” and bragged about how good it felt to shoot all the white people in the movie? Did you speak out against in tones of moral outrage?
If you didn’t, then there you have no moral authority whatsoever for condemning this t-shirt for its racism–or anything else.
If you support Taco Cid you’re going to love their t-shirts. Visit: http://www.facebook.com/TacoCidTshirts
So you have a failing franchise and you decide, to kill your business even faster, you will offend a large part of your costumer base by somehow implying that Mexicans(whose culinary culture you happen to be exploiting) are dumb animals that can be cartoonishly trapped under a crate with some tacos. What a great business model. I’m sure Ms. Snelgrove will be in the unemployment line in no time.
Maybe next Ms. Snelgrove can open a kosher delicatessen and have her staff wear t-shirts implying Jews have big nose, control the media, and drink the blood of Christian babies.
Yeah, and you can name it Bagel Yid’s, jackass. Illegal aliens are criminals. Get over it.
Illegal immigration isn’t a “race”…… it’s a crime. Who gives a crap what a bunch of criminal invaders and their despicable supporters think anyhow?
national borders, like race, are completely arbitrary things. it’s scary how tightly you feel like you have to cling to divisions over fake things.
Well then you lower your standard of living, don’t lower mine, if you want to live in a 3rd world nation, move to one, don’t be a jack ass and try to turn one I’ve worked my whole life to make better into one.
Well if you want to live in squalor in a crime and corruption-bloated chicken feces-encrusted third world barnyard there’s this ditch south of the border that might take you. Oh, that’s right…. Mexico actually enforces its immigration laws. Never mind.
The USA was founded and built by white Europeans, we are tolerant of millions of non-whites immigrating to our country our forefathers built every year, yet we are racist if we call ILLEGAL MEXICANS ILLEGAL. Sorry Marxists it isnt going to work anymore, we now realize that anti-racism is simply being anti-white. Every other ethnic group thinks in terms of there group and race and what is good for them but this natural want is not allowed for whites. Anything pro-white is racist. Have any of you fucking morons against these shirts ever thought that maybe the founding stock of this country are sick of THEIR BIRTHRIGHT being stolen out from under them by these illegals? Of course you havent because you are Marxists who will only be happen when white European Christian America is destroyed through mass immigration and displacement i.e GENOCIDE
i think it’s cool that you think america was the birthright of its, uh, european white founders, i guess???
What really offends me is that they believe that their fake tacos appear irresistible to us.
“Is it racist to disagree with those who are not supporting the American system?”
Actually, it is, if the American system you’re referring to is the one dependent on paving over stolen Native Americans’ land with asphalt manufactured by Black slave labor (this is a metaphor for you dense types).
Problem with illegal immigrants? Deport Whitey!
How many African slaves knew how to read, much less build a nation and a government? How many African slaves were engineers, architects, economists, businessmen? Get a grip, the white man built the USA and all the other best nations on Earth.
How many? Um, *all of them when they were forcibly brought here*, you idiot. They knew their own language, built their own country, and had their own government — until they were captured and brought to a new country with its own language, and with its own government that allowed them to be physically and socially restrained.
Didn’t you ever learn of the captured slaves who overthrew the crew of the ship that carried them, and near the US while still in international waters? They landed here, were imprisoned here — and then represented themselves in US federal court, citing international maritime laws to successfully be released as free men. Put the US attorney to shame –
You have absolutely zero basis for your claim, the fact of the matter is the overwhelming majority of Africans brought over in the slave trade were stolen from local villages and tribes with zero tradition of reading and writing (provable fact by lack of primary source documents in said civilizations) and were also illiterate, thanks for showing your utterly skewed Marxist egalitarian understanding of history. If you really believe the views you regurgitate then go live in one of the many great nations in Africa today. Oh wait, there aren’t any and you enjoy the comforts provided by Western Civilization built by white Europeans so shut your bullshitting mouth.
Then prove me wrong with valid source, Billy Boy. You say your claims are provable, then put up or shut up.
And while you madly search for some bs “source” to back you up, you should also look up the definition of “Marxist.” Its that same socioeconomic policy that the GOP promotes today, and which you apparently fall for. (..and *you* tell *others* that *they* don’t know history????)
And after you give up your mad search (since you’ll never find a valid source that defends your idiotic claims), and after you come to realization that you’ve been suckered for plutocratic Marxian principles, then the next thing you should do is ….BITE ME
HOPE ALL WHO EAT AT THIS RAT HOLE GET FOOD POISON..RACIST B!@#$!!!!..SC HQ FOR RACIST IDIOTS.
The fact that people like this shirt and don’t understand how insulting, stupid and racist it is speaks volumes about the sad state of humanity in South Carolina and elsewhere. The restaurant and its fans are pure trash.
The glorious opportunity to eat at the mexican restaurants. Ever since I was in Mexico for two years, I love Mexican food in Tucson, AZ and anywhere for that matter. Thanks for sharing this information.