CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Latinas of Mexican descent comprise the largest share of those in the workforce. KRIS 6 News Reporter Fernando Arevalo met with four women who embrace their heritage as business owners and talk about the challenges that come along with it.
According to Linkedin.com, the biggest challenges Latino women face in starting or running a business are:
- Limited access to funding and resources
- Discrimination and bias
- Lack of representation or role models
- Language barriers
Corpus Christi natives Sarah Flores and Sabrina Lozano are the owners of 'Loli's Streatery', a food truck that mixes traditional Tex-Mex menu items with a South Texas twist.
Sometime in spring or early summer, they'll be opening up a restaurant in downtown Corpus Christi titled 'Streat Corner Kitchen'. They point to their grandmother, also a former business owner, as their inspiration and where the name of their food truck comes from.
"50 years ago, owning a business was a huge deal for Latina women," Sabrina Flores said. "Now that we're here, it feels really good that we had people like her to start those processes for us."
Elena Flores, the owner of the retail store 'Sew Bonita', is from Eagle Pass, Texas, and moved to Corpus Christi in 2001. She said her upbringing in a 'border town' is why she opened up the store and why it offers items that celebrate Mexican culture. She said the color, smell, and food were something she wanted in her store to give a safe space for others in the Coastal Bend to enjoy and be a part of.
Her hardest challenge, she told KRIS 6 News, of starting her own business was self-teaching from ground zero.
“Culturally, growing up, we don’t talk about finances or savings," Flores said. "I'd say to other Latina women, it's very possible. You have to find a community of people, who support and love you and see the vision you have. It is not an overnight process. I started back in 2014, and it took years and years."
Hilda Medrano, who owns Robstown-based florist shop 'La Bluebonnet Shack,' grew up as a migrant worker. She said as soon as school ended her mother would take her up to northern states like Minnesota to hoe sugar beets. They would then return back home just in time to start school.
Her mother was also a business owner, owning her own little grocery store. She did not go into detail on discrimination her mother faced, but said she did see it growing up.
One issue Hilda sees between current and older generations is the language barrier. She said teaching her kids to be bilingual was an important part of their upbringing.
“It hurts me because I see children that cannot speak with older generations because the language is not there," Hilda Medrano said. "Sometimes it's just easier to speak English too because then you do not have to repeat yourself so much."
Despite their different paths and experiences, all four women continue to be inspired by previous and present generations.
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