In, "Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food," historian and author Jeffrey M. Pilcher argues that globalization has been detrimental, and expanded Mexican food. Pilcher claims that the presence of global influence of America has taken away the authentic Mexican cuisine from their country. 1 It is a struggle to find authentic Mexican food. Throughout history, different cultures influenced other cultures, in this case many countries have taken, enhanced, or made different variations of Mexican food and made it their own. Taco Bell, Old El Paso, and many others have franchised Mexican food. Pilcher claims that NAFTA ruined Mexican labor. 3 Pilcher uses academic history and popular history, to help support his claims. .
Using the methodology of both popular and academic history in, "Planet Taco," it helps the reader to follow along and truly understand what points Pilcher is making about globalization. The way he helps people to understand globalization is relating it back to something his audience would know. This made this a book worth reading, because of the narrative Pilcher writes made this book very unique. The point about globalization of Tex-Mex, and it becoming so popular, formed a different kind of globalization, corporate globalization. Taco Bell is an example of that, they took the variation of Tex-Mex and mass-produced it. .
Pilcher experienced how Taco Bell had the different variations first hand. He went to this popular fast-food chain to contrast it, to a local taco cart to see which one was truly fast food. The taco cart had fresh vegetables, they made his order right in front of him, and it took about two minutes to get his food. Taco Bell had their ingredients shipped to them in a box, and took them less than two minutes to have his order ready. 4 He then states the taco stand was real fast food. Taco Bell is just a franchise that has premade everything, to have a shorter wait time for their customers.