Pati Jinich: A Beautiful Beast: Food, Identity, and the Promise of La Frontera

There's a moment in your story that I find fascinating.

You were working in policy, but something wasn't quite clicking.

And eventually you enrolled in culinary school at night.

What was happening in your life when you made that decision? And did you have any idea at the time that it would frankly change everything?

Not at all, Pedro.

I had no idea.

I used to see my life as a progression of building blocks.

You know, I started political science.

Then I worked at a think tank.

Then I wanted to get a master's or a PhD.

I wanted to be an academic.

And when...

When I realized that I really didn't like what I was doing at all because they were there was I wanted to go into not political science.

I wanted to go into social sciences first and philosophy.

That's what I wanted to study because I was I've always been an idealist and I believe in the power of ideas.

And and I wanted to really help contribute something.

To my home country of Mexico, my grandparents on all sides were refugees from different countries, from different eras.

They were all fleeing, trying to get to the Americas, you know, to the lure of here you can be safe, here you can be free, here you can build a life for your family.

And Mexico welcomed them and allowed them to grow roots and help them become Mexican.

And I was very grateful for that journey.

So I wanted to give back to Mexico in work, building, strengthening democratic institutions, strengthening civic culture.

And it was my way of giving back to a country that I loved and love so much.

But after going through all the, you know, studies and theses and working in a think tank, I was very frustrated because I'm a very action forward person.

I like fixing things.

Like if you tell me you're sad or there's some kind of trouble, you know.

There's a moment in your story that I find fascinating.

You were working in policy, but something wasn't quite clicking.

And eventually you enrolled in culinary school at night.

What was happening in your life when you made that decision? And did you have any idea at the time that it would frankly change everything?

Not at all, Pedro.

I had no idea.

I used to see my life as a progression of building blocks.

You know, I started political science.

Then I worked at a think tank.

Then I wanted to get a master's or a PhD.

I wanted to be an academic.

And when...

When I realized that I really didn't like what I was doing at all because they were there was I wanted to go into not political science.

I wanted to go into social sciences first and philosophy.

That's what I wanted to study because I was I've always been an idealist and I believe in the power of ideas.

And and I wanted to really help contribute something.

To my home country of Mexico, my grandparents on all sides were refugees from different countries, from different eras.

They were all fleeing, trying to get to the Americas, you know, to the lure of here you can be safe, here you can be free, here you can build a life for your family.

And Mexico welcomed them and allowed them to grow roots and help them become Mexican.

And I was very grateful for that journey.

So I wanted to give back to Mexico in work, building, strengthening democratic institutions, strengthening civic culture.

And it was my way of giving back to a country that I loved and love so much.

But after going through all the, you know, studies and theses and working in a think tank, I was very frustrated because I'm a very action forward person.

I like fixing things.

Like if you tell me you're sad or there's some kind of trouble, you know.