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For many foodies and their lefty amigos, Taco Bell belongs in the pantheon of all-time anti-Mexican conspiracies -- a notch below Lou Dobbs but more onerous than the swine flu.
These custodians of cuisine and culture rail against the fast-food behemoth, bemoan how it mongrelizes one of the world's great food traditions with its chalupas and enchiritos, its Volcano Menu and cheese roll-ups. The chain's ubiquity makes it just another foot soldier in corporate America's drive toward nationwide blandness, they'll argue. And how insulting was that darn Chihuahua campaign from a couple of years ago? "Yo quiero Taco Bell?" Muy racist!
Full disclosure: I'm one of those whiners. Ever tried one of their burritos? Blech. But with the recent death of Taco Bell's founder, Glen Bell, it's time to praise the multibillion-dollar powerhouse. It deserves a spot in Mexican American lore, in the gallery honoring those brave pioneers who helped us join the melting pot -- below Cesar Chavez but higher than George Lopez.
These custodians of cuisine and culture rail against the fast-food behemoth, bemoan how it mongrelizes one of the world's great food traditions with its chalupas and enchiritos, its Volcano Menu and cheese roll-ups. The chain's ubiquity makes it just another foot soldier in corporate America's drive toward nationwide blandness, they'll argue. And how insulting was that darn Chihuahua campaign from a couple of years ago? "Yo quiero Taco Bell?" Muy racist!
Full disclosure: I'm one of those whiners. Ever tried one of their burritos? Blech. But with the recent death of Taco Bell's founder, Glen Bell, it's time to praise the multibillion-dollar powerhouse. It deserves a spot in Mexican American lore, in the gallery honoring those brave pioneers who helped us join the melting pot -- below Cesar Chavez but higher than George Lopez.
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