Food is deeply ingrained in cultural identity, and is one way to learn about a community’s heritage, familial customs and values. In the U.S., Mexican food is one of the most popular cuisines, with 1 in 10 restaurants serving Mexican, according to recent findings from the Pew Research Center. This trend reflects an expanding Mexican American population, with 37.2 million people or 11.2% of the U.S. population tracing their ancestry back to Mexico.

  • tsonfeir@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    Are Mexican food places really about an increasing Mexican population? 10% seems about right for the general interest. Kinda seems like a clickbait article for conservatives. What is the other 90%?

    • Froyn@kbin.social
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      10 months ago

      Totally clickbait. Japan has a lot of KFC restaurants, but not a lot of people from Kentucky.

    • dalekcaan@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      Yeah, it seems to assume an increase in Mexican food’s popularity must come from Mexicans, when it can easily be explained by how Mexican food’s really fuckin good.

      • tsonfeir@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        More Mexican food means more Mexicans!!!

        Would you like to ban Mexican food?

        NO It’s my freedom to have whatever food I want!!!

        But, it would make the Mexicans leave.

        FREEEEEDOOMMMMM!!!

  • doggle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    10 months ago

    I suspect it’s got as much to do with Mexican/texmex food being fuckin good as it does with an increasing Latin American population.

    • JonEFive@midwest.social
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      10 months ago

      Yeah, I agree. Their premise is faulty. Places serve tacos and quesadillas because they’re cheap and easy to produce and many Americans like them, not simply because there are more Latinos in the US.

      Now, if they said that there are more independent family-owned Mexican restaurants, I would consider that a bit more compelling.

  • Snapz@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Not reflecting expanding population, reflecting that it’s good fucking food regardless of where your stupid grandparents are from. And the fact that it’s typically cheaper fare in a country brutally and constantly raped by capitalism.

    • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      My grandparents were frim southern California as were their grandparents before them and before that they were somewhere out east causing trouble, except one ancestor who was still in California. What im trying to say is that my ancestors were eating mexican food before all you motherfuckers! Also praise the mighty Bakers for having burgers, burritos, and milkshakes (their thoughly americanizef but ive gotta show my Inland Imperial pride).

  • prole@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    About to order some Mexican food right now.

    I can’t imagine how fucking boring food would be if white nationalists had their way. No thanks.

  • Gazumi@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Erm, Mexican families having their own families plus people wanting to eat Mexican food? In the UK, we had people trying to say too many Indians coming into the country, based upon the number of Indian restaurants. Indian food is just more popular than fish & chips.

    • stoly@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Not only that, you’d surely struggle to find REAL, AUTHENTIC Indian food and not someone’s UK-style curry.

  • TenderfootGungi@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    In most Midwest towns it is Mexican food or hamburgers. I will take Mexican food 9 times out of 10 and I am not Mexican. The alternatives are just bad.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Twin cities has a lot of varied ethnic foods.

      Some of it you don’t even have to look to hard to find, if you’re keen to visit. But, I don’t wanna think about what it’s like outside the metro.

  • SuiXi3D@kbin.social
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    10 months ago

    I’m white AF. I’m currently in line for my second of the same burrito I had for lunch.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    This town has about 60,000 people. 100,000 in the metro area. I just counted. There are 16 Mexican restaurants. Some of them are within brief walking distance of each other. And no, I’m not counting Taco Bell.

    Unfortunately for me, I’m not a big fan of Mexican food.

    • gregorum@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      obligatory “oh, you just haven’t been to the right place yet; i know a great spot!”

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        I have a very good answer for them- I don’t really like peppers or beans. I also don’t really like the way Mexican meat is seasoned and I don’t really like any of the Mexican cheese I’ve had. None of it is a dealbreaker if other people want to go to Mexican food, but it would be far from my first choice.

        • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
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          10 months ago

          ha, i feel this kinda. i get shit all the time when tell people i ‘dont really like indian food’ … they go on and on about the tasting this and that and spices and blah blah blah… finally they ask me what i dont like about it… and i say ‘the texture’

          ‘oh’.

            • mars296@kbin.social
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              10 months ago

              Yeah that comment doesn’t really make sense. I feel like the most common Indian food around me is saucy meat and/or vegetables with rice. Which is very similar texture to many many other cuisines. But variety exists.

              • variants@possumpat.io
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                10 months ago

                My coworker also told me that he didn’t like Indian or Mexican food so I asked him over time about food he likes and his diet is mostly pb&j, spaghetti, or those frozen chicken pot pies with the grandma on the packaging

                • squiblet@kbin.social
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                  10 months ago

                  Some people eat a very limited range of foods and it’s often the same things over and over again. There can be various reasons for this.

        • squiblet@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          From what I’ve gathered you live in Indiana or something, so you might not have had exposure to the finest Mexican food.

          As far as cheeses, asadero is pretty solid. It’s like a denser mozzarella with more flavor. Sort of like a gooier provolone.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            I used to live in L.A.

            For a year I even lived in South Gate where we were one of the only English-speaking families.

            I just don’t like Mexican food very much.

          • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
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            10 months ago

            i like things that are ergonomically easy to eat. the burrito form factor is freakin amazing. all in one, no utensils. its a utilitarian dream.

            but when i go to a restaurant they destroy the utility. its suddenly on this plate covered is sauces! what?!

            • squiblet@kbin.social
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              10 months ago

              There are handheld burritos, and burritos. Where I’m from the handheld ones are sold to-go in foil but restaurants always drench theirs in sauce. You could ask for the sauce on the side, but you’re still supposed to eat it with a fork unless you’re in your car or walking around.

                • squiblet@kbin.social
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                  10 months ago

                  Might as well get a tamale if you ask me. But a lot of people seem to enjoy the soakedy flour tortillas.

        • bdonvr@thelemmy.club
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          10 months ago

          On an objective level, your opinion is wrong. However some people have wrong tastes and that’s okay.

    • i_dont_want_to@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      10 months ago

      My friend is from a smallish town (~4k) and they don’t like Mexican food much, either. (And the southern US cuisine is also something they are “meh” on.) Not a whole lot of restaurant food they like around their neck of the woods.

      Oh lordy when they come visit me in the city, they chow down on what we got. It’s always fun to have them help me order something I’ve never tried; I’m not nearly as adventurous when they’re not around. (I usually experiment in the kitchen or order something familiar when I go out.)

    • alekwithak@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Just checked my town. 20k people. 30 Mexican restaurants, not counting food trucks and fast food. Complete insanity.