Not knowing English at school, meant doing double the homework, first in Spanish and then translating it to English. I was used to playing outside with my friends who were my neighbors back home, but here I didn't even know who lived across from our apartment. At school, the Spanish speaking kids had a different accent, most were Mexican, some Salvadorian and a few from South America. I had never been exposed to so many different cultures, and in the beginning, it was really hard adapting to this new life, but as I grew older I started appreciating the melting pot of cultures in the Bay Area. After highschool, I decided to attend the California Culinary Academy for Hospitality & Restaurant Management. The first 6 weeks of the program were in the kitchen, learning how to use a knife, how to make mother sauces, and the basics of cooking. This was by far my favorite part of school, it made me feel close to my grandma even though she was thousands of miles away. Fast forward 15 years, I now have two boys that are my pride and joy and I run the Beverage Program at Town Restaurant in San Carlos, CA.

LatinX / Latino(a) / Latine Heritage Month means we get to celebrate our own unique roots, our food, our music, our history and all the different countries and cultures that bring us together. Being Latino to me means I get to speak Spanish, the language I grew up speaking, and make lifetime connections with people I never thought I would. It means my music playlist goes from Salsa, merengue, reggaeton to Snoop, Dr. Dre, E-40, Boyz II men, New Edition then back to Bad bunny, Maluma, Luis Enrique, and at times a little banda and country. It means I get to enjoy Baho, Vigoron or Arroz a la Valenciana and other traditional dishes my mom cooks; a cheesy pupusa from my Salvadoran friend's mom or a delicious Mole Oaxaqueño that my Mexican friend brought from Puebla when he visited his grandma. At work, I get to play around with different flavors when creating a new cocktail, flavors inspired by childhood and flavors I've been exposed to in my adult life in the Latino Community. Being Latino means we have the responsibility to do better, to create a better future for our family, to take advantage of the opportunity our parents sacrificed so much to give us.