Picture this narrative: A U.S.-born child of undocumented immigrants, raised in poverty yet brimming with resilience and determination, manages to rise against all odds and reach the pinnacle of success.
Through perseverance, unwavering determination, and the support of his family, this person triumphs over numerous challenges and obstacles to achieve his dreams and bring pride to his community. It's a story that has been shared time and again in Los Angeles, featuring people from diverse backgrounds and beliefs seeking a better life in this country.
This specific story, though, belongs to Gabriel Barajas, owner and creator of the Tacos Way taquería chain. With four locations throughout Southern California and one in Tokyo, Japan, this entrepreneur began his story by selling tortas at his local high school.
Moving from job to job, he eventually started selling hot dogs outside of the DMV, which gave him the idea to buy a couple of restaurants. Both failed until he ultimately came up with the concept of “Tacos Way,” a clever branding gimmick that he expanded by making music videos based on his …"Tacos Way!"
Typically, this protagonist would be celebrated and championed by his local community, but Barajas has recently found himself under fire from accusations that he is a supporter of President Donald Trump's MAGA movement.
In a TikTok video first posted by @ClipsTik10 that compares him to Tortas Manantial, Phoenix, Arizona's very own malinche, you can see Barajas partying and dancing while wearing a red MAGA hat.
The video accuses Barajas of turning his back on the very same community that helped him reach the top by wearing that notorious red hat. The same community that has suffered so much harassment and so many violations at the hands of federal ICE agents, deployed by the president under the directive of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s vindictive and racist agenda.
While many might be unaware, this isn’t the first time Gabriel Barajas has proudly worn a MAGA hat in a video. Last year, as he hosted a Fourth of July party, another video of him wearing a white "MAGA" hat with gold lettering was posted to TikTok by an acquaintance of Barajas, who was partying and singing along, with Mariachi Los Reyes playing in the background at a palatial-looking estate. When the targeted audience recognized him and started to voice their opinions, the video was deleted, and the account was made private.
Multiple other allegations have been levied against him all over the internet since the video's publication. Reddit, Instagram, TikTok accounts, and Facebook groups have been posting calls to action to boycott his establishments, as well as requesting he not be welcomed to BMO Stadium as an LAFC supporter.
On Sunday, July 6th, a spontaneous protest and boycott took place at Tacos Way in San Fernando, organized by community members who demanded accountability from Barajas for supporting a movement that would have directly affected his family if it had been in effect in the 1980s.
“A lady eating at the restaurant came out and spoke to a protester to ask why they were there,” says Hector Perez-Roman, an independent journalist and creator of Valley Views SFV Media.
"This is the last time I'll be eating here," was her response, after being informed of the reason behind the protest.
On July 5th, Barajas posted an apology to his Tacos Way Instagram account, saying, "a year ago I wore a maga hat never imaging the fear and pain that Donald Trump would bring to our Latino community. I deeply apologize for my ignorance ... "
L.A. TACO reached out to Barajas for a statement over email, but did not hear back.
According to Perez-Roman, the general public does not believe Baraja’s apology to be sincere, which is also in evidence in the comments to his post.
“Many protesters said they didn't accept the owner's apology because they didn't think it was genuine and only performative because of the negative publicity," Perez-Roman said.
Another protest is planned at Tacos Way today calling for a boycott of Barajas' business, intent on "bringing attention to the owner’s support for MAGA/TRUMP, as surfaced in a social media video."
We'll update this story if we hear back from the owner of Tacos Way.
All photos courtesy of Vallew Views SFV Media.
