I was well into adulthood, after decades of eating what most of this country calls "tacos" (Texas chili in a tortilla, often a hard shell tortilla), before I had anything resembling a real taco.
We ate them when I was a kid too-probably not texas chile, though. Maybe Rosarita refritos? Anyway, that was the Bay Area 60 odd years ago, before the giant Mission burrito was invented.