Taking root

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

By Lucille Rice

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Imagine Jackson Hole without your favorite taqueria serving up the best happy hour margaritas, without the annual Fourth of July fireworks show on Snow King, without the workers to keep the valley’s construction industry booming, without the shops to alter your wedding dress to fit like the one you’ve imagined since girlhood or to bake a three-tired wedding cake that looks as good as it tastes (or even better). Without the services and skills provided by immigrant entrepreneurs, life in Jackson Hole would be very different, and probably considerably poorer.

Forget the myths and stereotypes of Spanish- speaking immigrants taking our jobs while bypassing the taxes paid by legal citizens. Think more along the lines of a diverse array of determined entrepreneurs who have come to Jackson Hole to improve their lots in life and who have helped enrich the valley by creating jobs, diversifying our schools and streets, offering cultural exchange and giving back to the community they cherish just as much as we do.

Manuel Lopez, a Cuban immigrant who went from office boy to hotel management mogul (he is a managing partner of Snow King Resort and its largest shareholder), remembers when the valley was home to only a handful of Latinos. “I think that there may have been two or three Hispanics in Jackson when I arrived in 1973,” he said, chuckling incredulously.

But things have changed. In the past decade, a river of immigrants mostly from Mexico and Colombia has washed over the formerly homogeneous valley, helping to support Jackson Hole’s booming service and tourist-based economy.

“Hispanics are a vital part of our town’s economy,” said Town of Jackson Finance Manager Melanie Adams. “Without them, we wouldn’t have enough workers to keep the economy buoyant.” In her 10 years working in town government, Adams has seen Latinos increasingly go out on their own and apply for business licenses.

Browsing through a list of business permits issued by the Town of Jackson within the past decade and taking note of last names that appear to be of Hispanic origin (indeed, the majority were verified to be Latino immigrants who had opened small businesses), a very recent increase in Hispanic entrepreneurs becomes obvious. From 1999-2004, an average of one business license was issued annually to Latinos; in 2005 and 2006, the number was approximately five or six a year – still a small number, but a noteworthy increase.

As the backbone of the Jackson Hole workforce, the Latino population contributes to our economy in obvious ways. In 1990, two temporary work visas were applied for; in 2005, the number was up to 2,300. “Our economy is dependent on temporary workers in general, but specifically the Latinos,” said Tim O’Donoghue, executive director of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce. “You don’t have to go very far in our business community to find a business that has Latinos working there.”

For example, Lopez said one third of the 300 employees at Snow King are Hispanic.
O’Donoghue explained that the explosive growth of neighboring economies and the increasingly high cost of living in Jackson Hole has created a void in the workforce here, a void he says the Latinos are filling.

Tales of accomplishing the American Dream and going from rags to riches crowd our history books and bedtime stories. For Latinos, that is still very much a part of the reality of America. Overcoming such obstacles as language barriers and cultural differences, as Monico Alemanza did, is a noble exercise in determination.

Alemanza first came to the United States to visit his mother-in-law in Washington on a travel visa. Seeing the opportunities for entrepreneurship within reach for a hard worker, Alemanza found a job as a dishwasher in a Mexican restaurant, embarking on the long journey to business ownership.

From behind the sink, he kept one eye on the kitchen and one hand hovering over the piggy bank, learning everything he could about running a restaurant, and decided that he would some day do just that. Saving every penny he could and moving up in the kitchen ranks, Alemanza eventually purchased his own space in Jackson and opened the Mexican restaurant that bears the name of his motherland: Jalisco.

In addition to serving great, authentic Mexican food, helping to fill the coffers of the town, county and state, and providing a number of jobs, Alemanza’s son is a stellar student at Jackson Hole High School and has participated in cultural exchange programs through the Latino Resource Center, providing educational opportunities for Jackson Hole natives.

Carmina Oaks is the executive director of the Latino Resource Center. She has grown with the Latino population over the last decade in Jackson Hole. A Mexican native herself, she said rules and regulations in most of Latin America are minimal and pliable, citing the common sight in Mexico of taco stands at every street corner and recounting signs for tamales in windows that are considered a legitimate form of advertisement.
Despite the fact that immigrants face additional obstacles than their American-born competitors, Lopez noted that few are stifled.

The president of Snow King has observed that first generation immigrants are more likely to be entrepreneurs because they are not established yet and generally do not have support systems in place. “I had to be an entrepreneur because I came here by myself,” said Lopez, adding that his son can be whatever he wants once he graduates from college.

In the early part of the millennium, Colombia suffered an economic downturn and has been struggling to recover ever since. Not sparing the educated or even the established entrepreneur, the crisis forced thousands to flee the country in search of more secure business environments. After settling into Jackson Hole, two Colombian immigrants have established themselves and contributed to the growth of two very different types of services.

Rodrigo Cely comes from a wealthy family in Bogotá but has had a strong drive to be independent since childhood and reeks of business savvy. He started his first business at the ripe age of 6 years old as the chocolate vendor for his elementary school cafeteria. At the age of 13, he was translating books for college students and has learned medical and law terms.

To learn simultaneous interpretation and to perfect his skills, he would listen to a Top 40 music program that aired in both English and Spanish in Colombia. Keeping up with the radio announcer and translating simultaneously to and from both languages was good practice and proved helpful in the fast paced profession in which he excels today.
When his parents offered to pay and put him through a private college, Cely opted to do it on his own by interpreting for the U.S. Air Force in Bogotá, gaining American citizenship and experience.

Nearly three decades later, he opened his own translation and interpretation business in the valley, Interpretation Line. Cely works with the hospital, a property management company, the school system and other employers who need to train their Spanish-speaking employees. He pretty much has a monopoly on Jackson Hole’s simultaneous interpretation business.

The busy man is also developing an educational bilingual program that will air around the nation in an effort to promote communication between the large Latino population and Anglos in the U.S.

In 2001, Cielo Quintero reluctantly left her home, family and fashion design business in Bogotá to flee the difficult socio-economic situation and dangerous political instability. Entering Quintero’s workspace in the basement of the Centennial Building, the petite woman laughs when complimented on the dress she is wearing, saying she made it herself ages ago in that sort of “this old thing?” tone.

Apologizing for the cramped, 200-square-foot, windowless room she works out of, Quintero herself could scarcely believe that her former workspace was half the size. She jokingly wondered how she ever fit all of her equipment in the previous office.
The native Colombian studied design and finance for six years in her native country before opening and running a clothing factory that grew in eight years from a one-woman show to an enterprise of 45 employees. The economic crisis in 2001 forced her to close the factory and lay her workers off, a fact that still haunts her to this day.

Upon arriving in Jackson Hole nearly six years ago, Quintero relentlessly knocked on doors trying to get a job doing alterations, but in vain. It was a blessing in disguise. Doing odd jobs to make ends meet like babysitting pushed her to open her own business, Maciel Alterations, and to continue to pursue her passion for design.

Having started out of her bedroom in a house she shared with American strangers, Quintero has graduated to an office and high-end clientele, specializing in couture, upholstery and interior decorating. She has helped many brides perfect their wedding gowns for that special day. The entrepreneur is married to an American and considers the valley her home.

Speaking to these Latino entrepreneurs, a common thread of appreciation held their individual stories together. They feel like they are valued in the United States, that their hard work does not go unnoticed.

“When you do your best and an honest job, people support you here,” Quintero noted with a glimmer of gratitude and excitement in her eyes.

Cely echoes her sentiment: “If you come from a country where there aren’t many opportunities or much income and you come to the United States willing to work hard like the majority of immigrants in this country, you become valuable, something we were not in our countries.”

Oscar Ortega has taken full advantage of Americans’ value of good work. If you have ever been to Nikai, you have probably been to Cioccolato, the delectable little pastry and chocolate shop tucked away beneath the popular sushi bar on North Cache. Ortega is the master chocolatier running the show. Originally from Mexico, Ortega studied in Italy to become one of the most renowned pastry chefs in the country, representing the U.S. and Mexico in international culinary contests.

He makes art out of dessert and many of the cakes that no doubt outdo the bride on their big day. Ortega brings a sense of appreciation to the fifth course. When you taste the hot chocolate he makes from an ancient Mexican recipe or detect the subtle hint of jasmine in his chocolates, everything slows down and you find yourself teleporting to a cafe in Italy, taking the time to enjoy the unprocessed, untainted cocoa.

Juan Vasquez is taking smaller steps. He has had a landscaping business for over four years, but limits his clientele to personal friends and their references. Vasquez understands the cutthroat competition of the landscaping industry in Jackson Hole and is thus establishing a solid client base and strong business before giving up his part-time job, working for someone else as a carpenter.

One Latino immigrant has conquered two business sectors. Juan Sanchez owns the Taquería Sanchez and runs the masonry company that has built many homes and offices in Jackson Hole. One of his employees, Manny Sanchez, teaches salsa and hip-hop dance lessons for Dancers’ Workshop, bringing a vibrant piece of Caribbean culture to valley residents.

The landscape of Jackson businesses is changing as the community diversifies and Latinos integrate into all aspects of the economy and the social fabric of the valley. The investments that Latino entrepreneurs are making by starting their businesses and planting roots in the valley insure a commitment to the community and a desire to make it a safe place for their children and their grandchildren to grow up.

This, in turn, helps to dispel myths about Latinos who come here solely to make a quick buck and pick up and leave for the next best paying job. In fact, it seems as though the Latinos in the community are much less transient than many young Anglos who come to Jackson Hole for recreational purposes. Starting a business is a risky endeavor and in some cases leads to failure. But when success is had, everybody reaps the benefits.

Photo by LYNDSEY ROSS
Jalisco Restaurant owner Monico Alemanza has washed his hands of dirty work and is now the captain of his own ship.

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Taking root | Planet JH News Article: Cover Stories

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