Marcela Valladolid was born and went to school in San Diego, Calif., but had close family ties right across the Mexican border in Tijuana. She grew up proud of her heritage but was shocked to realize the stereotypical perceptions of Mexico held by her peers. Speaking to Parents Latina Magazine, Valladolid recalled her friends' reactions when they would come over after school. "They would visit our home in Tijuana and say, 'Oh my God, this is actually really beautiful. This is not like Taco Bell!'"

"And so that became my mission," Valladolid continued, "to show what we've got and all that Latinos contribute." In the years since, that has included making traditional Mexican dishes and customs more accessible through thoughtful, easy-to-follow explanations and demonstrations via her cookbooks, television appearances, social media, and, most recently, Zoom lessons. "For me, being Mexican is the best thing you could ever be in the world," she told Parents Latina Magazine. "Mexican culture is a bottomless Mary Poppins bag that you can pull magical things out of. My goal has always been to show that."

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Marcela Valladolid's Transformation Is Seriously Turning Heads - Mashed