Beyond the Border: The Transformation of Mexican Cuisine in the United States Post-War Era

Abstract

This thesis examines the history of the progress of Mexican food in the United States during the post-war era of the twentieth century and its path from little-known to the mainstream from small mom-and-pop restaurants along the border in the early 1900s, to the post WWII era of frozen TV dinners, fast food, grocery store food products, cookbooks and glossy food magazines, to the explosion into the late twentieth century into fine dining. I look at how Mexican cuisine has become an essential part of the American culinary landscape. This paper explores this metamorphosis and some of its contributing factors, including migration, changing American tastes, dining habits and marketing efforts that answer the questions, how has Mexican cuisine changed during the post-World War II period in the United States and what brought about these changes?