Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen
Podcasts AirTalk
A Mexican-American Food Writer Says The Notion of Authenticity Is Defined By Tourists
solid blue rectangular banner
()
AirTalk Tile 2024
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

May 29, 2019
Listen 17:38
A Mexican-American Food Writer Says The Notion of Authenticity Is Defined By Tourists
John Paul Brammer is “from a Mexican family that can’t cook,” in his own words.
"Gorditas de Chaya" - thick maize pancakes with sauteed greens with Chaya leaves (Cnidoscolus Aconitifolius), stew, boiled egg, pumpkin seed ground, is served with chaya sauce, onions, cilantro, habanero chili pepper and lemon from the Mexican state of Yucatan at the Gastronomic Forum in Mexico City on November 24, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Omar TORRES        (Photo credit should read OMAR TORRES/AFP/Getty Images)
"Gorditas de Chaya" are thick maize pancakes with sauteed greens, a boiled egg and pumpkin seed ground, served with chaya sauce, onions, cilantro, habanero chili pepper and lemon
(
OMAR TORRES/AFP/Getty Images
)

John Paul Brammer is “from a Mexican family that can’t cook,” in his own words.

John Paul Brammer is “from a Mexican family that can’t cook,” in his own words.

When he began food-writing, he realized that as a Mexican-American writer, his expertise was expected to be about food, the immigrant experience, or his culture, which felt limiting.

This raised the question about what “authentic” Mexican food should be considered.

Brammer then wrote about the imposed expectations he has experienced in an opinion piece in the Washington Post.

Larry sits down with Brammer and features writer for the LA Times and author of “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America” to discuss the notion of “authenticity.”

Guests:

John Paul Brammer, author of the Washington Post op-ed we’re discussing titled “I’m from a Mexican family. Stop expecting me to eat ‘authentic’ food” and is the creator of the advice column “¡Hola Papi!” for the community platform called “them” ; tweets

Gustavo Arellano, features writer for the L.A. Times and author of “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America”; he tweets

Credits
Host, AirTalk
Host, All Things Considered, AirTalk Friday
Senior Producer, AirTalk & FilmWeek
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Associate Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Apprentice News Clerk, AirTalk
Apprentice News Clerk, FilmWeek