Critical Thinker: May 2024

Sample Theses That Refute and Defend Gustavo Arellano’s Argument

Refutation

Gustavo Arellano is a prestigious, beloved Los Angeles culture writer. Unfortunately, his argument that attempts to ease the collective white conscience to steal Mexican food is a sad, unconvincing affair. His argument is crippled with egregious moral, legal, and logical fallacies. He knows all too well that American history is rife with white people exploiting Mexicans’ hard work and ingenuity. To defend whites because “everyone steals” is a childish remark that fails basic moral teachings, specifically the infantile notion that two wrongs make a right. Second, if Arellano wants us to take him seriously, he must give us a more narrow definition of cultural appropriation. There is no moral equivalence between a Salvadorean husband respectfully learning the finer points of making Jahuacatas from his wife who hails from Michoacan and the white El Torito manager who hires a Mexican worker, steals the worker’s recipes over a period of two months, and then unceremoniously fires the worker. A third most regrettable error on Arellano’s part is how he conveniently ignores the atrocious fact that the majority of white stealing of Mexican food is done in the cynical service of making money by white-washing and in effect destroying delicious food to make it palatable for philistines, tourists, and other types of phony people who fancy deluding themselves into “going out and getting some ethnic food.” The bad scenarios described above are more than just bad; they are abominations of the tastebuds and the soul, and for Arellano to omit these abominations from his argument is a form of intellectual dishonesty for which I cannot forgive.

Defense

I feel bad for the above writer who has morally excoriated Gustavo Arellano for his supposed moral failings. This writer’s spiritual purity and moral self-righteousness have blinded him from the gustatory pleasures that result from Arellano’s “free-stealing” philosophy. By “free-stealing,” I refer to a degree of healthy chaos that exists in the food industry. Recipes are flying from one town to another; variations are infinite based on quirks, available food, cross-cultural pollination, and a synthesis of cooking techniques from the many cultures that inevitably converge in great cosmopolitan cities such as Los Angeles. Moreover, the relevance of Mexican cooking makes it the most popular, fastest-growing cuisine in the world. Contrary to the above passage which attempts to put a big stink on Gustavo Arellano and which would have us believe that Mexican food is pure, sacrosanct, and unchanging, real Mexican food is constantly evolving through ruthless stealing, borrowing, mutations, and respectful homages to its sacred origins. Thank God, Gustavo Arellano acknowledges the vibrancy of Mexican cooking and its complicated, sometimes morally questionable origins, for finally, a food writer has exposed the truth about the wonders of Mexican food. The above writer, on the other hand, gets a medal for moral self-righteousness but loses points for being a boring, propaganda writer for the Cult of Authenticity.

Refutation

Gustavo Arellano is gung-ho about white people stealing from Mexicans for three reasons. One, since Mexicans steal, everyone else should be able to. Two, stealing Mexican food is great for popularizing Mexican food throughout the world. Three, dishing up substandard debased Mexican food is a great “gateway drug” to getting people hooked on real Mexican food. All three of his reasons are so ludicrous and asinine as to strain credulity. For one, that Mexicans interacted with other cultures, some who colonized them, and created amazing food is not morally equivalent to privileged classes of people today stealing Mexican food and exploiting Mexican workers. For two, while it’s true that stealing Mexican recipes popularizes Mexican food, this popularization for at least 99% of the time is a disrespectful corruption of true Mexican cooking. So Mexican food has been watered-down to suit the tastes of tacky tourists. Am I supposed to celebrate that fact? I think not. Finally, Arellano would have us applaud the serving of crappy food as the “gateway drug” to real Mexican food. Arellano’s reasoning is based on the optimistic and fallacious assumption that the tasteless hordes will get one taste of abysmal phony Mexican food and want to pivot to something more authentic when in fact the evidence proves otherwise. Look at the popularity of Taco Bell, El Torito, and other shambolic soul-crushing food chains and you’ll see that the masses are quite content with eating phony soulless Mexican food and have complete disregard for the real thing. One last thing I must mention is that Arellano's argument is hypocritical and disingenuous. What do I mean? You won't see Arellano eating and praising Mexican food from white establishments or food chains. He himself goes to hole-in-the-walls owned by Mexicans and other ethnic people and finds his favorite foods from these delicious remote places. These are the places he celebrates in his columns. In other words, Arellano can't even put his money where his mouth is. So while I will read Gustavo Arellano’s cultural criticism, I will index his defense of white people stealing Mexican food in my Rejection and Nonsense File.

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Ann Kim: Self-Expression by Breaking the Pizza Orthodoxy

See Chef's Table Pizza with Ann Kim

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McMahon's Thesis:

Gustavo Arellano and Ann Kim make a strong case that respectful synthesis of ingredients allows Mexican food to break from tradition and grow into new food territory as an explanation for the popularity of Mexican food and other cuisines. However, I reject the Taco-Bellification of Mexican food because watering down recipes to cater to tourists and novice customers is a desecration of food and is a form of gastronomical self-abasement from which there may be no return.

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Ann Kim from Chef’s Table Pizza, puts her own family cooking traditions into her pizza creations to produce popular restaurants. Comparing her pizza innovations to Gustavo Arrellano’s claim that people should be able to “steal” Mexican food as part of Mexican food’s growing popularity, write a 5-point outline to defend Arrelanno’s claim.

ChatGPT

Sure, here's a 5-point outline to defend Gustavo Arellano’s claim that people should be able to "steal" Mexican food as part of its growing popularity, using Ann Kim’s incorporation of her own family cooking traditions into her pizza creations as a comparative framework:

Outline

Introduction to Cultural Adaptation in Cuisine
- Briefly introduce Ann Kim and her success with Chef’s Table Pizza, emphasizing her integration of family traditions.
- Present Arellano’s claim about "stealing" Mexican food and its role in the cuisine’s popularity.
Historical Context of Culinary Evolution
- Discuss how cuisines have historically evolved through the blending of various cultural influences.
- Compare this to Ann Kim’s pizzas, which fuse traditional family recipes with Italian pizza, creating unique, popular dishes.
Cultural Exchange and Innovation
- Argue that cultural exchange in food leads to innovation and new culinary experiences.
- Use Kim’s pizza as an example of how integrating different cultural elements can create something novel and widely appreciated.
- Defend Arellano's view by showing how Mexican cuisine benefits from such innovation and wider exposure.
Economic and Social Benefits
- Highlight the economic advantages of allowing culinary "theft," such as increased restaurant diversity and consumer choice.
- Point out that Ann Kim’s restaurants thrive by offering something unique, thus supporting local economies and broadening social interactions through food.
- Connect this to the positive impact on Mexican cuisine’s popularity and economic success when more people engage with it.
Preservation and Respect for Origins
- Address potential concerns about cultural appropriation by emphasizing the importance of respecting and acknowledging the origins of the cuisine.
- Show how Ann Kim honors her family traditions while innovating, setting a precedent for how Mexican food can be respectfully "stolen" and adapted.
- Conclude by reinforcing that "stealing" food, when done with respect and acknowledgment, can enhance cultural appreciation and sustain culinary traditions.

By following this outline, the argument in defense of Arellano’s claim can be effectively structured, using Ann Kim’s successful culinary adaptations as a compelling comparative example.

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Highlights from Gustavo Arellano’s Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America

The Cosmic Burrito

According to food writer and Los Angeles Times culture critic Gustavo Arellano, Mexican food has been assimilated and celebrated in the United States for 125 years. Tacos and burritos are America’s comfort food.

The celebration of Mexican food in America has caused a worldwide appetite for Mexican food, from Dubai to Australia, which has its own Taco Bell, called Taco Bill’s, which specializes in fish tacos.

Arellano observes that for over 100 years, many Americans who are anti-Mexican in their prejudices are unaware of the contradiction between their racism and their undying love of Mexican food. They compartmentalize, loving the food yet inexplicably disliking the people who make it, turning Mexicans into negative stereotypes while having a relentless desire for Mexican food.

Tortillas are the preferred food of NASA astronauts, so there is now the “Cosmic Burrito” and variations of Mexican food pop up all over America, including the muchaco, a taco made with ground beef and pita bread at the Taco Bueno restaurant chain.

Hot Cocoa Comes from Mexico

Arellano observes that traditional desserts made with cocoa and vanilla to make chocolate and vanilla desserts, including hot cocoa, come from 1700s Mexico when the Virgin Mary statues in the cathedrals had offerings of various chocolate and vanilla desserts. This vanilla was cultivated to perfection and copied by the Europeans in Pico de Orizaba, a vanilla region in Veracruz, which is in eastern Mexico.

As early as the 1500s, Spanish conquerors fell in love with Mexican foods made with corn or maize, which were made into various forms of masa cornmeal.

The Spaniards become obsessed with tortillas and tamales, the latter being a convenience food perfect for traveling with.

The Spanish invader Cortes demanded Mexican food in his court, and according to Arellano, this is the first documented case of cultural appropriation.

Moreover, the Spaniards introduced the Mexicans to wheat flour, which brought flour tortillas to the Mexican diet.

This is our first known case of fusion.

Chile Con Carne (soon to become Chili)

Arrellano observes that the first chili made with hot peppers and meat was around 1870 in the San Antonio region, not Texas, but pre-Texas: Tejas.

Chile became so popular that by the 1880s, you could already find it advertised in Hawaii and Washington D.C.

The world doesn’t understand how good Mexican food is. They take it for granted. This is one of Arellano’s main points.

Now Chile Con Carne is just “Chili.”

Tamalero

Tamales started to spread throughout America in the 1890s and were sold by European, Indian, and Arab immigrants who were often called “Mexicans.” These immigrants who sold the tamales on the streets were called Tamaleros, AKA “The Hot Tamale Man.”

They became part of American popular culture and folklore.

World Domination of the Taco in the 1950s

As big as tamales and chili were for about 70 years, they would be replaced by the world-dominating taco starting in the 1950s.

Arellano contributes this growth to a place in Orange County called Irvine, the birth of Taco Bell, founded by Glen Bell.

We now have many tacos including:

The soft-shell taco
The taco dorado (hard shell)
The taquito (flautas)

Tacos have exploded all over the world, including Sweden, Japan, and South Africa.

Birthplace of the American Taco and the Gateway Drug Argument

While Glen Bell popularized the taco, the birthplace of the American taco comes from downtown Los Angeles on Olvera Street, a tiny taco stand called Cielito Lindo, circa 1931.

The second place is in San Bernardino, the Mitla Cafe, established in 1937. The restaurant served hard-shell tacos packed with beef and shredded cheese: taco dorado con carne molida.

Glen Bell noticed the popularity of Mexican food among the white consumer base in the San Bernardino area, and he copied Mitla Cafe when he started various taco ventures before settling on Taco Bell.

The owners of Mitla Cafe and Gustavo Arellano defend Taco Bell with its phony “Mexican food” because it’s the “gateway drug” to real Mexican food.

We can call this the Gateway Drug Argument for your essay.

Challenges to Authenticity

In his book, Taco USA, Arellano tackles some challenges to the idea of authenticity in Mexican food:

Since the 1980s, many white chefs have become Mexican food “experts,” writing cookbooks, opening Mexican restaurants, and having TV shows featuring Mexican food.
There was a type of food from New Mexico called “Southwestern Cuisine,” which could often be pretentious “gourmet” dishes with some loose connection to Mexican food. Other times, the food is very good, featuring local ingredients like hatch chilies. The enduring food from Southwestern Cuisine is the breakfast burrito. The craze started to die in the 1990s.
Tex-Mex, a fusion that since the 1930s features fajitas and chili has been criticized as being inauthentic, “the lowest common denominator of Mexican food.” However, the actual term Tex-Mex wasn’t coined until the 1960s.

The Great Burrito Rivalry

Gustavo Arellano adores the legendary Manuel’s Special at Manuel’s El Tepeyac Cafe in Boyle Heights.

He compares the burrito to an encounter with God. The burrito is 5 pounds and filled with grilled chicken, carne asada, machaca, beans, rice, guacamole, and sour cream.

The rival to Los Angeles for burritos is San Francisco, the Mission District, a place called “El Faro,” the Lighthouse. These are called Mission Style burritos.

“Tracing the delicious history of San Francisco’s mission style burrito”

“Why are Restaurant Burritos Better Than Homemade?”

Holy Grail Mexican Food Destinations

Arellano says his favorite burrito is the chile relleno burrito at Lucy’s Drive-In on Pico Blvd and La Brea in Los Angeles.
His favorite tamales are at Pasquale’s Tamales, a trailer in Helena, Arkansa, owned by a third-generation Sicilian family.
His favorite lamb chicharrones are Angelina’s in Espanola, New Mexico.
He loves the Taco Acorazado (Battleship) at Alebrije’s Grill in Santa Ana, CA. He says the tortillas alone are a miracle.

Not All Cultural Appropriation Is Alike: To Agree Or Not to Agree with Gustavo Arellano

The college students in my critical thinking class and I live in Los Angeles where some of the best food in the world is in our very backyards. I don’t want my students or me to take this for granted. I want us to do a deep dive into the Los Angeles food world, particularly Mexican food, the most popular cuisine in the world. So for our final essay assignment, we read Gustavo Arellano’s article “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food--Mexicans Do It to Ourselves All the Time” and we write an essay that supports or refutes Arellano’s defense of cultural appropriation.

Arellano defends cultural appropriation by explaining three things. One, that since the beginning of time, restaurant owners have copied their competition; two, social justice warriors aren’t helping anyone when they patronize Mexicans by painting them as helpless victims when in fact Mexicans steal in the food industry just like everyone else; and three, what some might call appropriation or stealing can be in fact the healthy human impulse for cross-cultural pollination, evidenced by the fact that many of Mexico’s most famous regional dishes incorporate the food and ingredients from Spain, France, and the Middle East.

Arellano’s argument forces us to question the very idea of authenticity. What is authenticity? In the context of Mexican food, authenticity is the traditions of regional Mexican cooking that bring labor-intensive cooking techniques, geographical richness, and time-tested rituals to produce some of the best food in the world. But authenticity is more than food. It is family and culture. I urge you to watch The Taco Chronicles on Netflix. When you see families in different parts of Mexico making carnitas, canasta, asada, pastor, barbacoa, guisado, suadero, cochinita, cabrito, birria, and pescado, you will find that the geography and family traditions make these dishes authentic. But just as importantly, these foods are so good that they are a miracle from God. Look at the love the community lavishes on the local taquero, the man selling tacos on the street corner. He is bringing love to the city, and he is appreciated for it. Look at the entire communities gathering together to make these authentic dishes and you will see that food is rooted in family and culture. What is most beautiful about this notion of authenticity is the expression of love for others by bringing them the food of the gods. There is a reason in Mexico why the taco is called madre.

When we watch The Taco Chronicles, the sense of community combined with the making of the best food in the world wins our hearts and our stomachs. Any notion of violating this authenticity rightfully angers us and we are disinclined to agree with Arellano’s support of cultural appropriation. However, if you read Arellano’s book Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, you will get more context for Arellano’s defense of cultural appropriation. Arellano would never want us to violate the authentic regional traditions of Mexican cooking. Instead, he is arguing that the splendor of regional Mexican cooking spread to America by bringing food that is both desirable and affordable and that some, not all, of the magic of authentic Mexican cuisine became accessible to the American masses. Moreover, this Mexican food changed American culture for the better. Full-flavored Mexican food replaced the tasteless pablum of “American” food. Americans speak with their money and they spend so much money on Mexican food that they have made a statement that they want Mexican food in their culture.

Is Gustavo Arellano defending all forms of cultural appropriation? Clearly not. If you read his articles and watch the Netflix series Ugly Delicious, “Tacos,” you will see that Arellano has contempt for “soulless” Mexican food, “Mexican” food chains that bastardize good-tasting Mexican food, food chains that disconnect the food they sell from the workers and from the Mexican culture; you will also see that Arellano has a healthy contempt for white-washed tourist food--phony overpriced Mexican food that has no spice and has been altered to appeal to the most infantile tastebuds. These counterfeit “Mexican” restaurants aren’t serving Mexican food at all. Rather, they are shamelessly serving overpriced tasteless codswallop. They are an abomination of Mexican food and the very idea of cross-cultural pollination.

However, there are defensible iterations of cultural appropriation. Stealing recipes from Mexico and elsewhere and bringing affordable street food to America doesn’t hurt anyone and in fact brings the nectar of the gods to more people for affordable prices. Recipes are stolen all the time. Just don’t take aqua fresca and call it “spa water” on your Tiktok channel, as Gracie Norton did, which is a form of racial plagiarism.

Some will argue that if some white ladies from Portland go to Mexico and steal taco recipes from grandmothers in Mexico City, those grandmothers are entitled to a cut of the action. But in reality, millions of recipes are stolen every day in the restaurant industry and any kind of compensation through accurate and detailed accounting is an impossibility.

Another defense of Gustavo Arellano’s claim that cultural appropriation is a good thing can be found in Netflix’s Chef’s Table Pizza series. Specifically, there are two chefs, Chris Bianco and Ann Kim, who break the rules of tradition to show that there is a place for creativity and improvisation in making superior pizza that violates notions of tradition and authenticity. In fact, Italian pizza experts have visited Chris Bianco’s Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, Arizona, and have proclaimed that his pizza is superior to the traditional pizzas of Italy. In the case of Ann Kim, she puts kimchi on her pizza and serves Korean mung bean pancakes and her restaurant Pizzeria Lola is so famous that to meet demand, she opened three other restaurants: Hello Pizza, Young Joni, and Sook & Mimi. Incidentally, her most recent restaurant Sook & Mimi features handmade tortillas made in the tradition of Mexico.

When we see successful restauranters such as Chris Bianco and Ann Kim make delicious food that is based on both authenticity and creativity, we see that making authentic food, or not, is not an either/or proposition. It is possible to do both. Again, this notion of combining authenticity with cultural cross-pollination supports Arellano’s defense of cultural appropriation.

Clearly, not all forms of cultural appropriation are alike. Some types are an abomination. Others are a celebration. The purpose of this assignment is to use our critical thinking skills to distinguish the good from the bad and to find nuance, shades of gray, and complexity.

Just as the best tacos have a complexity of flavors, the best essays have a complexity of ideas.

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Choice A Building Block 1

The Assignment: Write 2 Paragraphs:

Write 2 paragraphs, an Introductory Paragraph and an Argumentative Thesis Paragraph.

Instructions for Introductory Paragraph

I recommend one of two approaches for your introductory paragraph.

Method #1: Summarize the main ideas in the article by Gustavo Arellano titled “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food.”

Method #2 Summarize the main ideas in the YouTube video “Cultural Appropriation Tastes Damn Good.”

Instructions for Argumentative Thesis Paragraph

Then transition to an argumentative claim in which you show support or repudiation of Arellano’s main ideas.

While I take offense at the inflated prices of some of these appropriation restaurants and the lack of credit given to the original sources, I agree with GA’s claim that _______ because ________, ______________, ________________, and _______________________.

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1C Essay 4 Cultural Appreciation Vs. Cultural Appropriation: Choose One of 3 Prompts

The Purpose of Essay 4:

We will explore the idea that when we embrace cultural appreciation, such as the deep love for Mexican food, inevitably that appreciation will cross the line into appropriation.

Choice A

For choice A, our fourth essay will be a 1,200-word argumentative essay that defends, refutes, or complicates food and culture writer Gustavo Arellano’s claim in his essay “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food” and elsewhere that in the realm of food, especially Mexican food, we must step away from the Cult of Authenticity and embrace the idea that the greatness of Mexican food is related to its constant evolution from stealing, borrowing, synthesizing, and even culturally appropriating from one ethnic culture to another and that cuisines that fail to evolve lack relevance and vitality.

Sample Outline #1:

Paragraph 1: Summarize the main ideas in the article by Gustavo Arellano titled “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food.” Or summarize the main ideas in the YouTube video “Cultural Appropriation Tastes Damn Good.”

Paragraph 2: Then transition to an argumentative claim in which you show support or repudiation of Arellano’s main ideas.

Paragraphs 3-6 would be your supporting paragraphs.

Paragraphs 7 and 8 would be your counterargument-rebuttal.

Paragraph 9 would be a powerful restatement of your thesis, which is your conclusion.

Your last page would be your Works Cited page in MLA format and a minimum of 4 sources.

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Sample Outline #2: Breaking Down Arellano's Argument into 2 Parts

Paragraph 1: Summarize the main ideas in the article by Gustavo Arellano titled “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food" and the Netflix show Ugly Delicious, Season 1, Episode 2: "Tacos."

Paragraph 2: Then transition to an argumentative claim in which you show support and repudiation of Arellano’s 2 main ideas. You agree that Mexican food is glorious because of its evolution, innovation, and even stealing. However, you disagree that it's okay for Taco Bell and similar eateries to corrupt Mexican food, what I call the Taco-Bellification of Mexican food.

Paragraphs 3-5 would be your supporting paragraphs of Arellano's claim.

Paragraphs 6-8 would be your refutation against the Taco-Bellification of Mexican food.

Paragraph 9 would be a powerful restatement of your thesis, which is your conclusion.

Your last page would be your Works Cited page in MLA format and a minimum of 4 sources.

***

Choice A

Is the greatness of Mexican food rooted in its tradition or innovation?

Gustavo Arellano.jpg

A closer look at Gustavo Arellano's argument:

Rapacious Argument

Arellano makes the observation that the food business, including the ever-popular Mexican cuisine, requires constant innovation because it is “rapacious” and “Darwinian.” As he writes:

What these culture warriors who proclaim to defend Mexicans don't realize is that we're talking about the food industry, one of the most rapacious businesses ever created. It's the human condition at its most Darwinian, where everyone rips everyone off. The only limit to an entrepreneur's chicanery isn't resources, race or class status, but how fast can you rip someone off, how smart you can be to spot trends years before anyone else, and how much money you can make before you have to rip off another idea again.

Everyone Steals Argument

Arellano says the greatness of Mexican food is largely based on stealing. As he writes:

The Mexican restaurant world is a delicious defense of cultural appropriation—that's what the culinary manifestation of mestizaje is, ain't it? The Spaniards didn't know how to make corn tortillas in the North, so they decided to make them from flour. Mexicans didn't care much for Spanish dessert breads, so we ripped off most pan dulces from the French (not to mention waltzes and mariachi). We didn't care much for wine, so we embraced the beers that German, Czech and Polish immigrants brought to Mexico. And what is al pastor if not Mexicans taking shawarma from the Lebanese, adding pork and making it something as quintessentially Mexican as a corrupt PRI?

Don't cry for ripped-off Mexican chefs—they're too busy ripping each other off. Another anecdote I remember from Taco USA: one of the lieutenants of El Torito founder Larry Cano telling me Larry would pay them to work at a restaurant for a month, learn the recipes, then come back to the mothership so they could replicate it. It ain't just chains, though: In the past year, I've seen dozens of restaurants and loncheras across Southern California offer the Zacatecan specialty birria de res, a dish that was almost exclusively limited to quinceañeras and weddings just three years ago. What changed? The popularity of Burritos La Palma, the Santa Ana lonchera-turned-restaurant. Paisa entrepreneurs quickly learned that Burritos La Palma was getting a chingo of publicity and customers, so they decided to make birria de res on their own to try and steal away customers even though nearly none of them are from Zacatecas.

Business Argument

Gustavo Arellano further argues that cultural appropriation is “smart business.” As he writes:

And that's what cultural appropriation in the food world boils down to: It's smart business, and that's why Mexicans do it, too. That's why a lot of high-end Mexican restaurants not owned by Sinaloans serve aguachile now, because Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria made it popular. That's why working-class Mexicans open marisco palaces even if they're not from the coast—because Sinaloans made Mexican seafood a lucrative scene. That's why nearly every lonchera in Santa Ana serves picaditas, a Veracruzan specialty, even though most owners are from Cuernavaca. That's why a taqueria will sell hamburgers and french fries—because they know the pocho kids of its core clients want to eat that instead of tacos. And that's why bacon-wrapped hot dogs are so popular in Southern California—because SoCal Mexican street-cart vendors ripped off Mexicans in Tijuana, who ripped off Mexicans in Tucson, who ripped off Mexicans in Sonora.

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Gustavo Arellano contends that the success of Mexican food as one of the dominant cuisines in America and throughout the world is its refusal to be some sort of stagnant “authentic relic” but rather a constantly changing cultural phenomenon. Is his claim sacrilegious? Is he encouraging cultural appropriation, that is white privilege moving in and stealing Mexican cuisine for its own ends? Are his points defensible? Explain.

Review of Arellano's Arguments

Darwinian argument (cultural appropriation is survival)
Origin story argument (cultural appropriation is part of the rich Mexican food history dating back over a thousand years)
Popularity argument (thievery is a form of flattery and affirms the success of the dish)
Business argument (cultural appropriation is essential for a business to grow and flourish)
Adaptation argument (Mexican food is popular precisely because the history of Mexican food is the history of adaptation, synthesis, and cultural appropriation)
Diversity argument (Mexican food is not a monolith; it is diverse, and its diversity depends on cultural appropriation)

What are the two opposing sides of this argument?

The Great Debate: Innovation Vs. Tradition:

On one side, Gustavo Arellano’s side, is the argument that great food evolves through stealing and that stealing is a sign of the food’s greatness. Another side of food greatness is constant evolution and constant innovation. People are open to experimenting with foods and not tied to traditions and absolutes. Mexican food, moreover, is not a monolith. There is diversity based on regions and innovations, so there is no such thing as One Kind of Mexican Food, no One Burrito, No One Taco, etc.

On the other side, the Cult of Authenticity, is the belief that food should be unchanged. Food is iconic and rooted in tradition and attempts at changing the food is equivalent to “blasphemy.” Also, when the food is taken and changed it accounts to the loathsome act of cultural appropriation. Which side are you on?

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Review of Gustavo Arellano’s Arguments Against the Cult of Authenticity

(Pro Tip: The following arguments would make an excellent body paragraph outline for Essay 4)

In spite of some phony white chefs who wrongly anoint themselves as ambassadors of Mexican food, mainstreaming Mexican food is on balance a good because it exposes more people to the greatness of Mexican food and encourages cultural respect and cultural celebration of Mexican contributions.
Much of the purity cult behind the notion of authenticity is from whites on the Left and Right who don’t understand Mexican food or the Mexican people.
Letting social justice warriors dictate what is authentic can lead to food totalitarianism and absurdly narrow, reductionist definitions of authenticity.
The lines are blurred between innovation, cross-cultural synergy, and cultural appropriation, which has occurred since the beginning of time and is an inevitable part of how food evolves into amazing dishes.
It’s absurd to reject Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex food when we consider that these fusions are about embracing the greatness of Mexican cuisine and that no food is good or bad per se; rather, how a chef executes the dish determines whether it’s good or not. It’s all about execution. A bad taco could put you in a bad mood for a week. An exceptional taco could “change your life” and inject your brain’s amygdala with euphoric endorphins.

Counterarguments that challenge Gustavo Arellano’s claim that we should reject the Cult of Authenticity

Plagiarism Argument: When we steal intellectual or creative property, there should be consequences. We call this type of stealing plagiarism. Students who commit plagiarism get into big trouble. Shouldn’t cooks who steal creatively and in effect commit culinary plagiarism be subject to some kind of penalties? Should not these chefs who engage in stealing or cultural appropriation at the very least be required to ascribe credit to their sources? Should not these chefs who commit acts of culinary plagiarism at least be required to give a portion of their profits to the areas they stole from?
Moral Argument: Cultural appropriation, the kind where privileged people go to a small town in the United States, Mexico or Latin America and then steal recipes and cooking methods, offends our common sense of morality, fairness, honesty, and justice. When Gustavo Arellano says, “Everybody steals,” and that’s just the “Darwinian” way in the hyper-competitive restaurant industry, could we not accuse Arellano of using a “two rights make a wrong fallacy”? This fallacy is commonly referred to as argumentum ad populum or appeal to the majority fallacy. In other words, just because the majority engage in immoral behavior doesn't make that behavior right.
Quality Control or “Wannabes” Argument: Sure, Gustavo Arellano points out all these great examples of cultural appropriation, but those examples don’t diminish the exponential growth of phony Mexican restaurants that serve the crassest, disgusting, abominable “Mexican food” imaginable. Violating the Cult of Authenticity comes with a steep price: A bunch of wannabes steal some recipes and think they know how to make Mexican food when in fact what they are serving is an insult to Mexican food and to Mexican culture.
Grandmother argument: A student told me he had some very mediocre Molcajete at an expensive Mexican restaurant. He told me, “When I visit my grandmother in Guatemala, she makes me Molcajete that blows all the other ones away. I can’t get excited paying premium dollar for a bunch of sad food that goes under the name of ‘Mexican food.’” What this student is saying essentially is that the tradition, experience, and love his grandmother puts in her homemade Molcajete cannot be compared to the vastly inferior substitutes. Grandmother’s cooking, in other words, is an argument for authenticity.

Ugly Delicious, Season 1, Episode 2: Tacos

ChatGPT Outline That Support Arellano

Provide 7 reasons to support food and culture writer Gustavo Arellano’s claim in his essay “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food” and elsewhere that in the realm of food, especially Mexican food, we must step away from the Cult of Authenticity and embrace the idea that the greatness of Mexican food is related to its constant evolution from stealing, borrowing, synthesizing, and even culturally appropriating from one ethnic culture to another and that cuisines that fail to evolve lack relevance and vitality.

ChatGPT

Historical Precedent: Gustavo Arellano's argument is grounded in historical reality. Mexican cuisine, like many others, has been shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, conquests, migrations, and trade. From the blending of indigenous ingredients with Spanish influences during colonization to the incorporation of flavors from other cultures in modern times, Mexican food has always evolved through borrowing and synthesis.
Diversity and Adaptation: Embracing cultural borrowing and appropriation allows Mexican cuisine to remain dynamic and responsive to changing tastes, ingredients, and culinary techniques. By incorporating elements from other cultures, it becomes more inclusive and adaptable, reflecting the diversity of the people who contribute to its evolution.
Creativity and Innovation: The willingness to borrow and synthesize from other culinary traditions fosters creativity and innovation in Mexican cooking. It encourages chefs and home cooks alike to experiment with new flavor combinations, cooking methods, and presentations, leading to the development of exciting new dishes and culinary trends.
Relevance in Contemporary Society: In a globalized world where cultures intersect and influence each other constantly, clinging too rigidly to notions of authenticity can limit the relevance and appeal of Mexican cuisine. Embracing cultural exchange and appropriation ensures that Mexican food remains vibrant and appealing to diverse audiences, both within and outside of Mexico.
Cultural Hybridity: Mexican cuisine's greatness lies in its ability to blend elements from various cultures into a cohesive and delicious whole. This cultural hybridity is a testament to the rich tapestry of influences that have shaped Mexico's culinary landscape over centuries. Rejecting the Cult of Authenticity allows for a celebration of this diversity rather than constraining it.
Acknowledgment of Influence: By acknowledging the role of cultural borrowing and appropriation in shaping Mexican food, we pay tribute to the contributions of different cultures to its development. Rather than erasing or downplaying these influences, we embrace them as integral parts of Mexican culinary heritage, enriching our understanding and appreciation of its complexity.
Sustaining Tradition through Change: Paradoxically, embracing evolution and cultural exchange is essential for preserving tradition in Mexican cuisine. As society changes and new ingredients, technologies, and culinary trends emerge, the ability to adapt and incorporate these elements ensures that traditional Mexican dishes remain relevant and accessible to future generations, ensuring their survival and continued enjoyment.

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Provide 5 arguments to support the claim that Taco Bell is a desecration of real Mexican food.

ChatGPT

Certainly, here are five arguments to support the claim that Taco Bell is a desecration of real Mexican food:

Lack of Authentic Ingredients and Techniques: Taco Bell's menu relies heavily on processed ingredients like pre-packaged sauces, seasoned ground beef, and shredded cheese. Authentic Mexican cuisine, on the other hand, emphasizes fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, homemade salsas, and traditional cooking techniques. Taco Bell's offerings often bear little resemblance to the rich, complex flavors developed through time-honored Mexican culinary practices.
Simplification and Americanization of Recipes: Taco Bell's dishes are simplified versions of Mexican staples, tailored to American tastes. For instance, their tacos often contain just ground beef, lettuce, and cheese, omitting the variety of meats, fresh vegetables, and traditional garnishes found in authentic Mexican tacos. This oversimplification strips away the cultural and gastronomic significance of these dishes, reducing them to a bland caricature.
Misrepresentation of Mexican Cuisine: By branding its food as "Mexican," Taco Bell perpetuates a skewed perception of what Mexican cuisine truly entails. Many Americans might mistakenly believe that Taco Bell’s fare is representative of Mexican food, thereby overshadowing the country's diverse and vibrant culinary traditions. This misrepresentation does a disservice to the rich culinary heritage of Mexico.
Cultural Appropriation and Commercialization: Taco Bell capitalizes on the allure of Mexican cuisine without honoring its cultural roots. The brand's commercialization and appropriation of Mexican culinary elements for profit, without proper acknowledgment or respect for the culture, contributes to the erasure of the authentic Mexican dining experience. This reduces a rich cultural tradition to a mere marketing gimmick.
Nutritional Degradation: Traditional Mexican cuisine is known for its balanced and nutritious ingredients, often incorporating a variety of vegetables, legumes, and lean proteins. Taco Bell's menu, however, tends to be high in sodium, fat, and artificial additives, which compromises the nutritional integrity of the food. This degradation not only distorts the healthful aspects of Mexican cuisine but also promotes unhealthy eating habits under the guise of cultural dining.

These arguments underscore how Taco Bell's interpretation of Mexican food diverges significantly from authentic Mexican culinary traditions, ultimately undermining the cultural and gastronomic value of true Mexican cuisine.

Provide 7 reasons to refute food and culture writer Gustavo Arellano’s claim in his essay “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food” and elsewhere that in the realm of food, especially Mexican food, we must step away from the Cult of Authenticity and embrace the idea that the greatness of Mexican food is related to its constant evolution from stealing, borrowing, synthesizing, and even culturally appropriating from one ethnic culture to another and that cuisines that fail to evolve lack relevance and vitality.

ChatGPT

Respect for Cultural Integrity: Gustavo Arellano's argument overlooks the importance of respecting the cultural integrity of Mexican cuisine. Cultural appropriation often involves the commodification of aspects of a culture without regard for its significance or context. This can lead to the erasure of the contributions of the culture's original creators and perpetuate stereotypes.
Power Dynamics: The issue of cultural appropriation in food cannot be divorced from larger power dynamics, particularly when it involves dominant cultures appropriating from marginalized ones. In the case of Mexican cuisine, cultural appropriation by white individuals or businesses can perpetuate inequalities and reinforce historical patterns of exploitation.
Preservation of Authenticity: The Cult of Authenticity plays a crucial role in preserving the authenticity of traditional Mexican dishes and culinary practices. By adhering to traditional recipes, techniques, and ingredients, chefs and food enthusiasts honor the cultural heritage and expertise passed down through generations. This authenticity is essential for maintaining the unique identity of Mexican cuisine.
Recognition of Origins: Ignoring the origins of dishes and culinary traditions undermines the contributions of Mexican cooks, farmers, and artisans who have cultivated and refined these practices over centuries. Failing to acknowledge these origins perpetuates a narrative of cultural erasure and appropriation, diminishing the cultural significance of Mexican food.
Diverse Perspectives and Voices: By prioritizing authenticity and respecting cultural boundaries, we create space for diverse voices and perspectives within the culinary world. Elevating the voices of Mexican chefs, food writers, and culinary experts ensures that the richness and complexity of Mexican cuisine are accurately represented and celebrated.
Quality and Craftsmanship: Authenticity is often synonymous with quality and craftsmanship in culinary traditions. Traditional Mexican dishes are crafted with care and attention to detail, using locally sourced ingredients and time-honored techniques. Diluting or altering these practices in the name of innovation or fusion risks compromising the quality and integrity of the food.
Cultural Sovereignty: Embracing cultural appropriation undermines the concept of cultural sovereignty, which asserts the rights of communities to control and protect their cultural heritage. Mexican cuisine is an integral part of Mexico's cultural identity, and efforts to appropriate or commercialize it without consent undermine the autonomy and agency of Mexican people to determine how their culture is represented and shared with the world.

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Sample Theses That Refute and Defend Gustavo Arellano’s Argument

Refutation

Defense

Refutation

Choice A Building Block 1

The Assignment: Write 2 Paragraphs:

Write 2 paragraphs, an Introductory Paragraph and an Argumentative Thesis Paragraph.

Instructions for Introductory Paragraph

I recommend one of two approaches for your introductory paragraph.

Method #1: Summarize the main ideas in the article by Gustavo Arellano titled “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food.”

Method #2 Summarize the main ideas in the YouTube video “Cultural Appropriation Tastes Damn Good.”

Instructions for Argumentative Thesis Paragraph

Then transition to an argumentative claim in which you show support or repudiation of Arellano’s main ideas.

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Choice B: American Chinese Food

Based on the Ian Cheney documentary The Search for General Tso (Amazon Prime) and the essays “Who’s Afraid of Chop Suey” by Charles W. Hayford, “More Than ‘Just Takeout’” by Cathy Erway, “‘Not Real Chinese’: Why American Chinese Food Deserves Our Respect” by Kelley Kwok, and “Searching for America with General Tso” by Jiayang Fan, write a 1,200-word argumentative essay that addresses the claim that to scorn American Chinese food as a betrayal of authentic Chinese food is an oversimplification that overlooks the complications and contradictions of American Chinese food, which is really a story about surviving racism and xenophobia, overcoming economic struggle, and establishing a strong and pervasive cultural influence.

Building Block 1 for Choice B

For paragraph 1, summarize the reasons American Chinese food is viewed as a betrayal of authentic Chinese food and the authors’ main defenses of American Chinese food.

For paragraph 2, write your thesis, an argument that addresses the assertion that to scorn American Chinese food as a betrayal of authentic Chinese food is an oversimplification that overlooks the complications and contradictions of American Chinese food, which is really a story about surviving racism and xenophobia, overcoming economic struggle, and establishing a strong and pervasive cultural influence.

Building Block 2 for Choice B

Write a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph.

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Choice C: Appropriating Authentic Human Experience to Entertain Others (Appropriating Real Friendships with Parasocial Friendships)

Megan Garber’s 2017 Atlantic essay “Are We Having Too Much Fun?” revisits a “prescient” classic: Neil Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death. In her essay, Garber writes the following:

“Postman today is best remembered as a critic of television: That’s the medium he directly blamed, in Amusing Ourselves to Death, for what he termed Americans’ “vast descent into triviality,” and the technology he saw as both the cause and the outcome of a culture that privileged entertainment above all else. But Postman was a critic of more than TV alone. He mistrusted entertainment, not as a situation but as a political tool; he worried that Americans’ great capacity for distraction had compromised their ability to think, and to want, for themselves. He resented the tyranny of the lol. His great observation, and his great warning, was a newly relevant kind of bummer: There are dangers that can come with having too much fun.”

In 2023, Megan Garber returns to the themes in Neil Postman’s book in her essay “We’ve Lost the Plot.” In her essay, she addresses the forces behind a “post-truth society”--weaponized misinformation, distrust in major institutions, and an addiction to “unlimited entertainment” that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. In “We’ve Lost the Plot,” Garber writes about how what we expect from human beings has changed in the age of entertainment and social media. Garber writes:

“By the mid-20th century, the historian Warren Susman argued, a great shift was taking place. American values had traditionally emphasized a collection of qualities we might shorthand as “character”: honesty, diligence, an abiding sense of duty. The rise of mass media changed those terms, Susman wrote. In the media-savvy and consumption-oriented society that Americans were building, people came to value—and therefore demand—what Susman called “personality”: charm, likability, the talent to entertain. “The social role demanded of all in the new Culture of Personality was that of a performer,” Susman wrote. “Every American was to become a performing self.”

These warnings of society’s addiction to the “performing self” and the ensuing dehumanization that occurs are rendered in the movies Network, The Truman Show, and The Social Dilemma. Write a 1,200-word essay that addresses the claim that the movies Network, The Truman Show, and The Social Dilemma illustrate that to curate a performative self and appropriate authentic experience to entertain others is destroying a healthy liberal democracy and replacing it with a “post-truth” dystopia. For your sources, use the aforementioned movies and two Megan Garber essays. Be sure to include an MLA-format Works Cited page.

Outline from ChatGPT:

Provide 7 reasons to support the claim that the movies Network, The Truman Show, and The Social Dilemma illustrate that to curate a performative self and appropriate authentic experience to entertain others is destroying a healthy liberal democracy and replacing it with a “post-truth” dystopia.

ChatGPT

Certainly, here are seven reasons supporting the claim that the movies "Network," "The Truman Show," and "The Social Dilemma" illustrate how curating a performative self and appropriating authentic experiences to entertain others can undermine a healthy liberal democracy and contribute to a "post-truth" dystopia:

Manipulation of Reality: All three films depict scenarios where reality is manipulated for entertainment purposes. In "Network," the news is sensationalized and distorted for ratings. In "The Truman Show," Truman's entire life is a scripted reality show. "The Social Dilemma" shows how social media platforms manipulate users' perceptions of reality through curated content and targeted advertising, blurring the lines between truth and fiction.
Erosion of Privacy: The constant surveillance and exploitation of personal data in "The Truman Show" and "The Social Dilemma" highlight the erosion of privacy in modern society. Individuals' personal lives are commodified and exploited for entertainment or profit, undermining the concept of privacy essential to a healthy democracy.
Loss of Authenticity: In all three films, authenticity is sacrificed for the sake of entertainment or social validation. Characters in "Network" and "The Truman Show" perform roles dictated by external forces, while users in "The Social Dilemma" curate idealized versions of themselves online. This loss of authenticity undermines trust and fosters cynicism, making it difficult to discern truth from fiction.
Normalization of Deception: The normalization of deception and manipulation in these films contributes to a culture where truth is subjective and facts are malleable. In "Network," the network's exploitation of Howard Beale's breakdown blurs the line between reality and fiction. In "The Truman Show," Truman's friends and family deceive him to maintain the illusion of his reality. "The Social Dilemma" exposes how algorithms manipulate users' perceptions of reality by prioritizing sensational or misleading content.
Manufactured Consent: The manipulation of public opinion through media manipulation and social media algorithms undermines the democratic principle of informed consent. In "Network," the audience's reaction to Howard Beale's rants is manufactured to serve the network's interests. In "The Truman Show," Truman's entire reality is constructed without his knowledge or consent. "The Social Dilemma" shows how social media platforms manipulate users' beliefs and behaviors through targeted content, shaping public discourse and opinion.
Escapism and Apathy: The prevalence of curated, performative selves in these films fosters escapism and apathy, discouraging critical thinking and civic engagement. In "Network," the audience's obsession with entertainment distracts them from important social and political issues. In "The Truman Show," Truman's complacency with his artificial reality reflects society's acceptance of superficiality and conformity. "The Social Dilemma" explores how social media addiction and filter bubbles isolate individuals from diverse perspectives, fostering apathy and polarization.
Threat to Democratic Values: Ultimately, the prevalence of curated, performative selves and the manipulation of reality depicted in these films pose a fundamental threat to democratic values such as truth, transparency, and accountability. By replacing authentic experiences with curated narratives and fostering a culture of deception and manipulation, these films illustrate how a "post-truth" dystopia undermines the foundations of liberal democracy, eroding trust in institutions and fostering social division.

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Building Block 1 for Choice C

In paragraphs 1 and 2, summarize the Megan Garber essays “Are We Having Too Much Fun?” and “We’ve Lost the Plot.”

Building Block 2 for Choice C

Write your third paragraph, your thesis paragraph, in which you addresses the claim that the movies Network, The Truman Show, and The Social Dilemma illustrate that to curate a performative self and appropriate authentic experience to entertain others is destroying a healthy liberal democracy and replacing it with a “post-truth” dystopia.

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Simplified Version of Choice C: Appropriating Outrage

Address the claim that the 1976 movie Network foreshadows the kind of commodification of performative outrage and its toxic societal effects evident in the documentary The Social Network.

Present 7 ways the 1976 movie Network foreshadows the kind of commodification of performative outrage and its toxic societal effects evident in the documentary The Social Network.

ChatGPT

Certainly, both "Network" (1976) and "The Social Network" (2010) offer poignant reflections on the commodification of outrage and its detrimental impacts on society, albeit in different contexts. Here are seven ways the former foreshadows the latter:

Exploitation of Emotion: In "Network," the character Howard Beale becomes a sensation when he expresses his raw emotions on television. Similarly, "The Social Network" portrays Mark Zuckerberg exploiting the emotional vulnerabilities of his peers to create a social network. Both instances highlight how genuine emotions are manipulated for profit.
Sensationalism in Media: "Network" criticizes the sensationalism and commodification of news, showcasing how networks prioritize ratings over journalistic integrity. Similarly, "The Social Network" portrays the sensationalized portrayal of events surrounding the creation of Facebook, emphasizing how media narratives can distort truth for entertainment value.
Voyeuristic Entertainment: Both films depict audiences' voyeuristic tendencies towards others' personal lives. In "Network," viewers are drawn to Howard Beale's breakdowns, while in "The Social Network," audiences are fascinated by the drama and conflicts among the characters involved in the creation of Facebook.
Manipulation of Public Opinion: "Network" highlights the manipulation of public opinion by media corporations, showcasing how narratives are crafted to sway public sentiment. Similarly, "The Social Network" depicts how social media platforms can shape public discourse and influence opinions through curated content and algorithms.
Monetization of Controversy: Both films explore how controversy and conflict can be monetized. In "Network," the network exploits Howard Beale's controversial rants for profit, while in "The Social Network," Zuckerberg and his associates capitalize on the controversy surrounding the creation of Facebook to propel their success.
Erosion of Authenticity: "Network" portrays the erosion of authenticity in media, as sensationalism and entertainment value overshadow truth and integrity. Similarly, "The Social Network" highlights how authenticity is sacrificed in the pursuit of success and recognition in the digital age.
Alienation and Isolation: Both films depict the alienation and isolation that can result from the commodification of outrage and the pursuit of success. In "Network," characters become increasingly disconnected from reality, while in "The Social Network," characters experience strained relationships and interpersonal conflicts as a result of their ambitions.

In essence, "Network" serves as a precursor to the themes explored in "The Social Network," offering a prescient commentary on the commodification of outrage and its toxic societal effects.