The Deeper Reason Trump’s Taco Tweet Is Offensive

*Forget the obvious ridiculousness of the Trump Cinco de Mayo Taco Bowl Tweet. Is there some dog whistle stuff going on just beneath the surface? VL

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By Tania Lombrozo, NPR (3 minute read)

Last Thursday, for Cinco de Mayo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted an image of himself eating a taco bowl with the words: “Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!”

People were quick to point out some ways in which the tweet was not only inaccurate (taco bowls are available at the Trump Cafe, not the Trump Tower Grill), but also offensive.

Read more NewsTaco stories on Facebook. >>  

For one thing, taco bowls aren’t Mexican but rather an American invention (as is, to a large extent, the celebration of Cinco de Mayo itself). For another, Mexican-Americans are just one subset of “Hispanics,” and not all Hispanic cultures identify with tacos or Cinco de Mayo.

But there’s a deeper reason the tweet might tweak a nerve, and it has to do with . . . READ MORE

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Tania Lombrozo is a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She writes about psychology, cognitive science and philosophy, with occasional forays into parenting and veganism. You can keep up with more of what she is thinking on Twitter: @TaniaLombrozo

[Photo courtesy of Donald Trump Twirtter account]

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