Rick Martinez has made it his mission to clear up misconceptions about Mexican cuisine

"What I want ... is to change the country's perception, and I want you to cook the food you've never heard of before."

As the Mexican-American chef with his debut cookbook, Mi Cocina, on May 3rd, Rick Martinez knows that discussion about certain holidays during his book's launch in the United States is inevitable.

"The question the publisher asked was, 'Do you want to recognize Cinco de Mayo or use that data in some way?'" he told Food TODAY. "And there's no point in me denying its existence as an American holiday. I've spent most of my life celebrating it here, and I've had absolutely no problems. But imagine if you knew that Finland celebrates Pearl Harbor Day. That's kind of weird, isn't it? That's the equivalent for me. Today is about the fighting that took place in Puebla. It's not Independence Day. But here in the United States, it's something.

"So I think we need to raise awareness about Mexican and Latin American culture, beyond the typical margarita and stuff like that. I use dishes from books to celebrate food beyond what people usually eat at Cinco de Mayo." Texas-born Martinez is a third-generation Mexican. He said that as a "brown kid," he was "called Mexican" even though he had never been further than border towns. "It's not like you learn Mexican history in school," he said. "History that was taught to us in Texas like the Alamo. And besides, it's Cinco de Mayo and Texas-Mexican food. That's us and my general understanding of Mexico.

Martinez's parents, on the other hand, were busy joining Texas. "My mom researched American food," he said. "She married in 1963 and bought Betty Crocker's cookbook. It was her way of not only expanding her culinary roster but also becoming more American. So we ate foods like salmon croquettes and chicken fried steak. My parents tried hard to fit in with society. American and Texas culture, so I let go of the past to fit in. So for me, the question is: Where do I fit in now? I'm American, but I have a past I can't deny that makes me want to know more."