After watching a video in class on cultural appropriation, it made me think more on how Mexican food has undergone appropriation. In our class conversation surrounding the topic, I brought up how when I was younger I talked to a kid who claimed to have loved Mexican food, but to then find out that the “Mexican food” that he was speaking of was none other than the franchise, Taco Bell. Of course, we were young and the topic of “cultural appropriation” would never have popped up in my head in middle school, but I do remember feeling confused because I knew that Taco Bell wasn’t authentic Mexican food. Growing up in a Latino household, food is something that I always held dear to me. My dad would — and still does — always remind me of where I came from and this consisted of different foods, culture, and history that my family is a part of. My dad LOVES food very much and he takes it very seriously. That said, my dad refuses to go to Taco Bell because he would much rather go to a Taqueria spot in Jackson Heights — named Taqueria Coatzingo — for some really amazing Mexican food and I cannot blame him. I go there all the time and definitely recommend. I look back on that experience when I was younger and now understand that I encountered a discussion that was tied to the appropriation of Mexican food. Even though I know that the kid wouldn’t have known much of what he was saying, but I hope that as he got older he has tried real authentic Mexican food and recognizes that Taco Bell just doesn’t compare.
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