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Migrants in the City
With in the ever expanding Phoenix Valley there are several shops, restaurants and other businesses that transcend the American culture and give all that visit these businesses a taste that is uniquely their own. Perhaps my favorite one of these business is a Latin American grocery store called, the Ranch Market. This grocery store is nothing like your average super mart. It has a very vibrant atmosphere that could never be mistaken for anything but a Latin grocery store.
I was very excited about this assignment
because it would allow me to go and enjoy this wonderful store. I
chose to go on a Saturday because it usually is the best day of the
week to sit and people watch. The parking lot usually has a wide
variety of street vendors, which remind me of a typical Mexican
border town. This particular visit was made even more pleasant
because the store had a Mariachi band playing outside. The parking
lot also had the smell of a backyard B.B.Q., due to the fact that
the supermarket was roasting peppers and cooking whole chicken on a
traditional steel drum B.B.Q.
As I walked into the actual supermarket the atmosphere that was created from the fiesta like parking lot continued. There is a huge deli like area complete with picnic benches for you to enjoy the many delicious looking treats they have to offer. I have to admit I’m in heaven every time I visit. I decided to try a Mexican sandwich called a torta. The one I choose was called a Cubano, it had hamon, queso, and carne asada, and it was delicious. However, ordering the torta provide to be a challenge. The lady at the corner did not speak any English so I had to resort to a very strange form of sign language that I developed myself. It worked and as I sat at the picnic tables, I began to notice how many families were shopping together. When I say families I don’t mean mom dragging the kids along, I mean husband’s and wives. Sitting there I got a sense of what is meant when Hispanics refer to the Familia. I know that I sound corny, but it is true. When you visit a place like the Ranch Market you get a positive glimpse into a beautiful and proud culture.
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