The Secret History of the Taco Burrito King

WBEZ's 848 ("The Radio Show That Starts Twelve Minutes After Its Name") had an LA Times reporter named Sam Quinones on today, talking about Latino immigration. One of his examples is the migration from a Mexican town named Atolingo to Chicago, which is largely the outgrowth of the success of a man named Chon Salinas, who figured out what Chicago gringos wanted in a taco and burrito place and has built quite an empire-- a large portion of those El Famous Loco Taco Burrito King House places dotted around the city are his.

I can't recommend the drunk-gringo burritos but I can recommend listening to the segment for the full story of what Salinas' success has meant for himself and for the village he left behind, which is interesting, thought-provoking and ultimately more than a little poignant. (I also got more real perspective on the immigration debate than I got from all other news sources put together during the recent immigration debate, but hey, I stopped being surprised by that a long time ago.)

Here's the segment.

There was a tribune article, possibly in the Magazine section about this guy and his restaurants. Then again it might of been the Sun Times. Interesting life this guy has led.

There used to be a really outstanding restaurant here called "Chon y Chano", wonder if there's any connection. I really liked that place.

Mike G wrote:WBEZ's 848 ("The Radio Show That Starts Twelve Minutes After Its Name")

I usually tune in at about 9:05 and for years I thought the program started at 8:48 until I actually attempted to tune in at 8:48 one morning.

On a related note, awhile back, 848 had a segment featuring the pumpkin canneries downstate. The temporary seasonal help were mostly Mexican immigrants who came up yearly to pack pumpkins and how, as a result, the cannery helped to significantly support the villages they came from. Also, a pattern developed where new workers were also culled from those villages, so after time, the cannery became staffed mostly of workers who workers from the same few villages in Mexico. It's sort of like going to Germany to work at a VW plant and everyone there is from Chicago or Schaumburg.

aschie30 wrote:

Mike G wrote:WBEZ's 848 ("The Radio Show That Starts Twelve Minutes After Its Name")

I usually tune in at about 9:05 and for years I thought the program started at 8:48 until I actually attempted to tune in at 8:48 one morning.

Maybe everybody knows this, but Chicago Public Radio is located at 848 E. Grand Ave.

aschie30 wrote:On a related note, awhile back, 848 had a segment featuring the pumpkin canneries downstate. The temporary seasonal help were mostly Mexican immigrants who came up yearly to pack pumpkins and how, as a result, the cannery helped to significantly support the villages they came from. Also, a pattern developed where new workers were also culled from those villages, so after time, the cannery became staffed mostly of workers who workers from the same few villages in Mexico. It's sort of like going to Germany to work at a VW plant and everyone there is from Chicago or Schaumburg.

But first, it was a story in the Reader.

This story also reminds me of a special relationship mushroom growers and canneries have with some locale in Mexico. I think I saw it on some PBS show and no I'm not looking it up.

m'th'su wrote:

aschie30 wrote:On a related note, awhile back, 848 had a segment featuring the pumpkin canneries downstate. The temporary seasonal help were mostly Mexican immigrants who came up yearly to pack pumpkins and how, as a result, the cannery helped to significantly support the villages they came from. Also, a pattern developed where new workers were also culled from those villages, so after time, the cannery became staffed mostly of workers who workers from the same few villages in Mexico. It's sort of like going to Germany to work at a VW plant and everyone there is from Chicago or Schaumburg.

But first, it was a story in the Reader.

That's right, it was.