Jesus “Chuy” Mendez-Fragoso is the owner of multiple bar and restaurant concepts in Birmingham, Alabama, including The Louis Bar and Unos Tacos in the Pizitz Food Hall, Adios Bar, and upcoming Salud , plus he’s a franchise owner for Honest Coffee Roasters . As a 4-year-old undocumented Mexican immigrant, Chuy faced language barriers and struggled with his identity. In this edition of Voices in Food , he talks about how his illegal status limited his prospects in life and career ambitions, and offers advice on how the Latinx community can advance through education and entrepreneurship.
I was born in a small town in Tabasco, Mexico. Because there were no jobs there, my parents crossed the border into the United States. My dad worked as a cook and mom cleaned hotels. My parents were always working and I was home alone. Back in the early ’90s in Shelby County, Alabama, there were no ESL or Spanish teachers, or groups to help Latino kids navigate kindergarten and elementary school. I had no other family or friends in the area. And the lack of technology available to me didn’t allow me to reach anyone. My dad dropped me off at school and I had to figure out when it was time for class, how to ask to go to the restroom, tell when I was hungry, when school was over, etc. After first grade, I started getting the hang of school.