9 Immigrant-Owned Small Businesses To Support All Year Long
Latinx Heritage Month has ended but the celebration of achievements from people in our communities continues well beyond October 15th.
From candles to art collections and accessories, immigrant-owned small businesses are unique and more than meets the eye. These creators have poured their soul and craftsmanship into creating custom pieces and sharing them online, showcasing their talent and inspiring us to do the same.
We have compiled a list of these hidden e-commerce treasures. Here are nine immigrant-owned small businesses that have inspired us with their hard work and continue to prevail.
1. Adelita’s Apparel
Adelita’s Apparel co-owners are sisters Yajahira and Atziri Peña, from Tepatitlán Jalisco, Mexico. “We make items that are aimed to allow us as undocumented immigrants to take and own our narratives. Our culture, our stories, they are all so important and oftentimes who we are is dwindled down to our contributions and our ‘hard work’. We decided to change that. To be the brand that creates products that uplift our stories and empowers us to be unapologetically ourselves,” co-owner Atziri Peña tells FIERCE. To make their collections even more meaningful, Adelita’s Apparel also helps out DACA students with their DACA renewal funds.
2. Quherencia
Quherencia is a handmade beaded jewelry and candle shop owned by Brenda Heredia from Mexico City. Heredia finds comfort in owning her own small business. “Ever since I came to the country it’s been a journey, oftentimes I find myself doubting my skills and my presence, all because of that ‘I don’t belong here’ feeling. I am also unable to be employed in the country so having my own business has given me lots of hope and dreams that I had lost throughout the years,” Heredia tells FIERCE. Her collection will be including holiday-themed candles starting on October 9.
3. Solunita Crafts
Solunita Crafts’ owner Grecia Marisol Gonzalez is originally from Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Her culture deeply inspires her handmade earrings and necklaces, but what really gets her going is her status: “The main reason is the urge to get ahead because I worked for approximately 12 years in companies that do not give me the opportunity to grow precisely because of my immigration status,” Gonzalez tells FIERCE. She is currently promoting Day of the Dead-inspired accessories.
4. Frijoliz Art
The experimental digital Frijoliz Art is owned by Lizett Carmona, originally from central Mexico and now residing in Chicago. “My community is at the forefront of what I make. I like to embrace the people in my community by depicting work that comments on the world around us and challenges social norms and structures. You’ll find themes of motherhood, migration, queerness, and class struggle,” Carmona tells FIERCE.
5. Ecuamex Café
The Ecuadorian and Mexican-owned coffee shop Ecuamex Café founded by Karen Misheal Jacho Alban and Esteban Altamirano is located in Downey, Calif. They believe that anything is possible and achievable, and advise other immigrants to not shy away from creating a business of their own. “¡Échale ganas! The hardest part is starting everything else will fall into place,” co-owner Alban tells FIERCE.
6. Yamz World
The bold design and illustrated art Yamz World is owned by Brayan Montes-Terrazas, originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. “For me, art is a medium to drive voice. We now have the power in our hands to say what is really on our minds. What’s on my mind? Freedom, equity, POC issues, justice and I will use my voice and platform to tell those stories and to share those missing pieces,” Montes-Terrazas tells FIERCE.
7. Liz Ceramics
Liz Ceramics is owned by Lizbeth Navarro, she is from Celaya, Guanajuanto, Mexico. She specializes in animal ceramic cups.
8. Pink Cove Treasures
The handmade crafts and accessories store called Pink Cove Treasures is owned by Pamela, originally from Paraguay and now residing in New York City. She sells unique mugs, earrings, and rings.
9. Kaleidoscope Cultured
Kaleidoscope Cultured is a craft store owned by Jazmin Soto and Leidy Macias. They showcase collections of stickers, pins and buttons, prints, apparel, bookmarks, and jewelry that have “the concept of destroying borders and space between us.”
