Dear Hot Taco: Take your racist statues down

Your decor is racist. Yes, I mean R-A-C-I-S-T!  Your entry statue, of the sleeping Latino man, is one of the oldest and most widespread Latino stereotypes that exists.

The proverbial “lazy Mexican dozing off” is offensive, and the association of laziness to the “siesta” is a misrepresentation of Latino culture that is, without a doubt, a harmful stereotype.

It’s beyond belief that you spent money on these statues, and consider them decoration – when at best they are the work of deliberate prejudice, ignorance, and complete lack of historical knowledge of Latinos and Mexicans in particular.

For years, this image has been used as a shorthand way to ridicule Mexicans and other Latinos, mock their culture and devalue their identity.

Racist caricatures have no business decorating a business, and they must come down.

The stereotype that Mexicans are lazy is one that Mexicans and other Latinos are still battling to this day —despite the fact that many of our friends and family work long hours in low-wage service sector jobs, or on dangerous construction sites, where wage theft, racial profiling and other abuses driven by an anti-immigrant climate are a daily reality.

Negative, offensive and “brownface” cultural stereotypes shouldn’t be reinforced. Latinos in a city like Charlotte, with one of the fastest growing Latino populations, shouldn’t have to tolerate public racism. Remove the statues now!

Charlotteans, Please help me out by (1) signing this petition and (2) sharing this with friends.