Juan Gutierrez, Oaxacan baker in Santa Monica
Welcome to a new feature of my blog — podcast interviews — which I hope to do more of.
The first one is a conversation with Juan Gutierrez, a Zapotec Indian from Oaxaca. His Panaderia Antequera in Santa Monica is believed to be the first Oaxacan-owned business in the L.A. area, opening in the late 1980s.
The conversation is about his arrival here, working at Shakey’s, and opening his bakery — a piece of oral history of a people’s move north.
These last few years a mini-boom in Oaxacan owned businesses has been underway in L.A., spurred by several factors: the idea many have now that they’re not going to be returning home; the size of the Oaxacan immigrant consumer market in L.A.; and a general dispelling of the fear and intimidation with which many Oaxacans, formerly campesinos, viewed business.
The interview is in Spanish and runs about 24 minutes.
I’m hoping to talk to more folks like Mr. Gutierrez, pioneers, people with interesting stories — as well as authors of books that are relevant to the themes of this blog.
Feel free to suggest some.
