Paisa Alejandro Martín, 35, is one of the Colombians who left the country to live the American dream. Like many other Latinos, she decided to risk experiencing the negativity that some others experience. Immigrants in the United States with the determined goal of having a different life and other comforts.
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To work Social contact in Colombia, but only once you arrive in North America I started working as a waiter in a restaurant for several months He found ‘mines’ in the sale of suckling pigs and tamales.
It is already known that The United States is one of the main destinations for Colombians Those who decide to emigrate. According to the latest official statistics for 2021, more than 855,000 citizens are estimated to live in the country, not counting all those who are irregular.
“We are a big community”said Alejandro, who has met hundreds of Colombians in the United States and even now employs many of them.
New York has witnessed the sacrifice of countryman Alejandro Martín in recent years. Today, it has one of the most visited restaurants by its citizens. WITH tamaleria Hundreds of Colombians come to try the “local food” and feel at home.
Despite Now it has a turnover of up to five million dollars a year.It all started when he quit his job as a waiter and started working independently at a small stall on the street where he went out every day, rain, snow or shine.
(Also: Tamale or suckling pig: Which is healthier, according to the nutrition table? We’ll tell you).
“I worked as a waiter for almost a year and a half, and all that time I noticed that tamale are almost non-existent in the United States. So I started to look into it and eventually learned how to make tamales at home,” Martín said in an interview with EL TIEMPO.
Yes ok, I didn’t know how to cook then. He wanted to take the risk of preparing this typical dish and after trying it several times, he found the perfect taste.
it was like that He decided to quit his job and sell tamales at a street stall. At the corner of 82nd and Roosevelt.
“The climate in New York is very harsh. I went out every day, it was snowing, sunny, stormy, etc. I saw on the news that it was going to rain and I said ‘today is sales day because no one will go out and sell today’. So it’ll just be me.”
Alejandro spent three years like this, working hard every day, away from his family, in another country where another language was spoken.
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Finally, the pandemic arrived in 2020; Covid-19 has forced people into lockdown. Many companies went bankrupt and there were those who resorted to remote work. However Alejandro saw an opportunity again.
“People who started businesses were unprepared and their businesses closed. But because the 82-year-old didn’t have a job… People started calling me and asking if I had tamales,” he said.
He purchased larger quantities of ingredients and began shipping tamales to homes. Then things got harder and we came to the point of hiring staff.
“I started selling tamales everywhere and people who lost their jobs started calling me and asking if I could hire them,” he added.
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It remained that way for a year until it officially incorporated the Queens location. His very successful venture, added the sale of piglets in more than ten different presentations.
Even after eight months he created Ranodromo, a place with a “100 percent Colombian atmosphere where people can play tejo and frog” Enjoy live music and eat typical suckling pig and tamale dishes.
This year, it opened a location in New Jersey, shipping to every state in the country and also being a supplier to other small businesses looking to get started with tamales.
“We have two restaurants, we have two factories in different locations, and we distribute to 30 states in the United States. “We open our line nationwide and distribute and ship the order in sealed, vacuum-packed, thermal cellars and sell to more than a thousand restaurants, butchers and street food carts,” he said.
“We have 14 types of piglet products: piglet sushi, piglet aborrajado, piglet stuffed potatoes, piglet empanada, piglet cone and more”.
That Colombian corner is known as: tamaleriaIt brings together hundreds of people every day and where even immigrants come to seek support and support. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, A country where sometimes it is not easy for those looking for the American dream.
Laura Avendaño Ladino
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I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
