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SHE’S ALWAYS BEEN A BUSINESS WOMAN, AND YOU KNOW, SHE HAD, A TAQUERIA IN MEXICO WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP.
I DID A LITTLE BIT OF PRE-K THERE, WHEN I WAS LITTLE. I REMEMBER, DRESSING UP ALL THE
TIME. I REMEMBER SITTING OUTSIDE THE TAQUERIA AFTER
SCHOOL, UM, WITH MY PARROT, AND, YOU KNOW LIKE A BIG BLOCK OF ICE,
AND SO I WOULD SIT OUTSIDE AND, YOU KNOW, SHAVE THE ICE,
IT DEFINITELY CONNECTS ME BACK TO MEXICO I FELT LIKE I’VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS ALL
MY LIFE, EVEN THOUGH I REALLY HAVEN’T.
NONE OF US SPOKE ANY ENGLISH. AND SO WE HAD OUR UNCLES AND AUNTS TRANSLATE FOR US, GET
US ENROLLED IN SCHOOL. IT WAS DEFINITELY A BIT OF A CULTURE SHOCK.
SHE STARTED ON THE CORNER OF MAIN AND WILHOIT WITH A LITTLE RED TACO TRUCK.
AND THAT, HAS EVOLVED INTO, NOW TWO LOCATIONS.
I HAVE A GREAT TIME GETTING TO KNOW EVERYONE. SOMETIMES I KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR CUSTOMERS,
YOU KNOW, THAN LIKE THEIR FRIENDS KNOW ABOUT THEM. IT’S NICE, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I’M
A THERAPIST WITHOUT A DEGREE.
IT’S DEFINITELY BEEN NICE, GETTING TO GROW WITH THE SOUTHSIDE, REALLY. I REMEMBER WHEN
WE WERE ONE OF THE ONLY BUSINESSES ON THE SOUTHSIDE.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE THERE FOR MANY MANY MANY YEARS TO COME.
I ACTUALLY DON’T COOK. I THINK FOR ME, COOKING IS VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AS A TRADITIONAL
THING. I GUESS IT’S A TRADITION AND I FEEL LIKE, A LOT OF OUR HERITAGE IS BEING LOST
IN THE UNITED STATES NOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FORGETTING WAYS TO COOK
CERTAIN THINGS, YOU KNOW, SO IT IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT TO ME TO KEEP THAT TRADITION GOING
AND KEEP, LIKE, MY FAMILY RECIPES AND, FAMILY I GUESS HEIRLOOM, YAKNOW, GOING.
I ENJOY IT ABSOLUTELY, NOT AS MUCH AS MY MOTHER, BUT.
TRUTHFULLY, I KIND OF JUST, HAVE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE CERTAIN THINGS, JUST FROM WATCHING
HER, MAKE THEM OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
SO WORKING WITH MY MOTHER, IT, IS, IT’S DIFFERENT. UM, YOU KNOW, SOME DAYS ARE AMAZING,
YOU KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN, YOU KNOW, MAKE EACH OTHER LAUGH, AND SOME DAYS, YOU KNOW,
SHE PROBABLY WANTS TO KILL ME AS MUCH AS I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, AS WELL.
I ACTUALLY WENT TO SCHOOL TO BE A STYLIST, MY MOTHER STARTED
HER FOOD TRUCK AND UH, WHEN I GRADUATED, SHE WAS BLOWING UP, AND NEEDED HELP AND YOU KNOW
I THOUGHT I WAS ONLY GOING TO BE HELPING HER OUT FOR MAYBE A YEAR MAX, AND HERE I AM, FIVE
AND A HALF YEARS LATER.
IT DEFINITELY WAS DIFFICULT AT FIRST, YOU KNOW, GETTING USED TO THE IDEA THAT I WASN’T
GOING TO PURSUE WHAT I WAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO PURSUE, BUT I THINK, WHILE I WAS TRYING
TO GET USED TO THE IDEA OF NOT FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT I STARTED, I ACTUALLY KIND OF FELL
IN LOVE WITH RUNNING THE BUSINESS.
I THINK I LIVE THROUGH MY PARENTS THE AMERICAN DREAM, BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS WANTED US TO HAVE
MORE THAN THEY DID, AND THEY’VE ALREADY SURPASSED THAT.
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