Earlier this week, folks in several industries participated in an event called “A Day Without Immigrants.” The focus was to highlight the contributions immigrants make every day, including to the economy.
It was also a protest against mass deportations.
The food industry, particularly here in Texas, relies heavily on immigrant labor.
Mando Rayo, taco journalist and host of the Tacos of Texas podcast, spoke with Texas Standard about the protest and the contributions of the immigrant workforce. Listen to the interview above or read the transcript below.
This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:
Texas Standard: The first Day Without Immigrants protests happened during the first Trump administration, back in 2017. Now, that was eight years ago. What would you say is significant about this one and what, if anything, has changed?
Mando Rayo: Yeah, well, it’s very real. You know, when we think about immigrants… To be honest, whether you’re at a taco truck, a restaurant, a fancy Italian restaurant, an American bistro, there are going to be immigrants helping you make that food.
When you think about who’s cultivating your food, who picks your food – you know, your fresh produce at the grocery store – those are migrant farm workers. Those are immigrants.
And so it is very real, the situation, where people don’t feel safe to go to work or send their kids to school, because we learned from the first administration that separation of family… That’s a real thing. This is serious.
Well, in your podcast, you include interviews with migrant workers who pick vegetables and other crops that end up on our tables or at restaurants. What’s happening now, given the current political climate and immigration crackdown?
Yeah. Well, you know, I think what you’re seeing, the rhetoric is “immigrants are taking our jobs,” but now the fields are empty because immigrants are the only ones that are willing to do those jobs. It’s hard labor, and it’s a lot of it is unrestricted.
And so when you think about what they have to go through to cultivate the foods and pick the fields, you know, what we’re seeing just with the industry is people are scared to go to work because they don’t want to get hauled off by ICE or separated from their families.
And so I think it’s a very important issue that we have to understand and we have to respect and honor where people are just trying to improve their lives and be there for their families and their livelihood.
A “Know Your Rights” graphic collaboration between Mando Rayo’s United Tacos of America and Bodega Visual. Courtesy of Mando Rayo
As you mentioned, service industries and agriculture do depend on these workers. What have you found is vital for people to know – both the people who may be afraid, but also everyday people who may not realize this?
I mean, basically it affects us, you know, whether you go to your grocery store or you go grab food at a restaurant, it affects us.
But I would say, you know, the main thing is if ICE approaches you, don’t be scared and stay calm. You do have the right to remain silent. ICE has to produce a signed warrant by a judge. So these are the kind of things that people need to know when it happens.
There’s a lot of stuff out in the Internet, but it’s like this idea of like, “okay, what can I do? What happens?” You know, you’re like in this situation where you have to provide a resource. And so, you know, I partnered with Bodega Visual, and we’re actually providing a Spanish-language zine to help taqueros and taqueras to understand, hey, they see ICE at the door, what can they do right there on the spot immediately?
So it’s about providing that support, the information that they need, in order to stay safe.
Really interesting what you’re doing. What are businesses and restaurant owners doing? You mentioned the taqueros, but I mean, in general, we’re talking about all kinds of restaurants.
Yeah, all kinds of restaurants. And you know, the Day Without Immigrants, you did have restaurants across Texas closed down for the day to really kind of show the support and the economic impact of what immigrants do and provide for our communities.
You know, Cochinita & co. in Houston, they partnered with FIEL Houston, which is a grassroots organizing group. And there they hosted a “Know Your Rights” lotería. And it’s about a friendly way to be like, “Hey, what can I do?” What happens if ICE comes to your house or your workplace or stops you on the street?
Vaquero Taquero in Austin, they’re actually creating a passport where a percentage of their sales are going to go towards legal aid, towards immigrants, in case they get stuck in the system.
