Update on January 8, 2021: L.A. Taco has identified the viral bacon-wrapped hot dog vendor as Efrain Gonzalez, a 53-year-old Angeleno from Puebla, Mexico. His daughter Cely G. Saucedo tells L.A. Taco that he has been street vending all of his life and has taught many others the craft of street vending. Unfortunately, she also informs L.A. Taco that last summer, he was assaulted while street vending in an attempt to rob him.
“Even after that he is fearless and continues to work for his family,” she says.
She has created an Instagram account along with a gofundme to support her father in need. “He’s being very shy about asking anyone for money but he is definitely in need. He is so happy reading all the comments as I’m translating.” She informs L.A. Taco that all donations will go directly to him to help him with his “accumulated bills from vending citations, mortgage, utilities, food, and basic necessities.”
From his gofundme:
Salgo a trabajar todos los días conociendo los riesgos que tomo pero aun no me detenié a luchar por mi familia y mi hija de dos años que es mi motivación. Cuando empezó la pandemia, me afecto mucho mi trabajo porque dependía en los eventos sociales y ha sido dificil encontrar trabajo ya que no estábamos preparados y no imaginábamos estar en esta situación.
No he parado de trabajar porque mi prioridad es mi familia y seguiré luchando por ellos. Agradezco muchisimo a todas la personas que lean esto, gracias por su bondad y se les agradece infinitamente, Dios bendiga a todos ustedes.”
[dropcap size=big]Y[/dropcap]esterday, as the world witnessed a Trump-enabled armed mob invade the United States Capitol Building, L.A. foos were captivated by a lone street vendor at City Hall. The original footage of the señor pushing around the city's world-famous street food dish was recorded by Twitter user @RAMSBRUH on Twitter and shared by @FoosGoneWild. It appeared to be from a live news segment on FOX covering the mob of Trump supporters at L.A.'s City Hall building in downtown.
The video made the rounds on all of the Latino, Chicano, and foo-centered social media accounts on both Twitter and Instagram. Many took to the caption and comment section to voice their appreciation for the hot dog vendor, praising the vendor's “unmatched hustle.” L.A. Taco has been unable to find who the vendor is, but we think he may be a regular street vendor due to the use of the standard-issue red portable grill cart that most hot dog vendors in the city use.
“The image of the street vendor working around the Trump supporters at City Hall reminds me that in the midst of all the turmoil in our country: the open-air racism, the political grandstanding, the attempted coups…everyday workers are still struggling to make ends meet,” says Rudy Espinoza, Executive Director of Inclusive Action For the City and of the city's most vocal street vendor advocates.
“At the end of the day, their focus is on providing for their families. Our focus should be on serving them!”
One L.A. Taco reader, Andrew Villalobos Jr. (@Opalish) sent L.A. Taco a DM that perhaps summed it up the best: “Concert, football game, car show, treason...the bacon-wrapped hot dog guy will be there. ”
