My life story

Today, I took the decision to recount some of the experiences I had to endure. I am a survivor and I am confident for a brighter future. Next year, I will celebrate my fiftieth anniversary of life. Here is my life story.

I was born and raised in Panama, a place of transit where traditions and cultural manifestations of all parts of the world are intertwined. Within the first few years of my life, I enjoyed going to dine out with my parents. Every Sunday, we ate either Chinese or Italian food. I started to cook at home when I was a teenager. Both of my parents complimented my cooking skills. After eating my food, my mother always said “delicioso” – delicious in English. I remembered that my father said, “You are a good cook, you should open a restaurant. I had always felt passion for food that blend a variety of ingredients and cooking styles. I even took several cooking classes where I learned techniques from a Belgian chef who was living in Panama.

I lived in a period where pursuing an educational degree was pivotal in Panama. Every young Panamanian should be an engineer, a lawyer, a banker, or a doctor in the eighties. Why? The answer is because the workforce in Panama was employed in businesses directly or indirectly to the Panama Canal at that time. Only foreigners or immigrants were involved in the restaurant industry at that time in my country. I graduated from high school with honors when I was fifteen years; I got a bachelor degree in Advertising when I was twenty years old. After my internship in Citibank, I worked there for five years. When I was 23 years, I started to work for the Panama Canal. For fourteen years, I got promoted in several positions. I purchased my house when I was twenty-eight years. I obtained my MBA degree with emphasis in Marketing when I was thirty years old. I had a successful life.

My life significantly changed when I got married at 35 years. As a result of my marriage with an American man, I left behind my country, my house, my family, and my job. I relocated to Virginia in 2005. Being an immigrant was not easy. When you are an immigrant, something pulls you and something pushes you at the same time. I was in the need to adapt myself. I recognize that the United States is a country with a wide racial and ethnic diversity. Having lived in Latin America and United States has made me aware about the lack of understanding about Afro-Latin identity. While I was waiting to become a legal resident, I got actively involved in a non-profit cultural organization intended to share Panamanian folklore and culture. At that time, I considered myself as a cultural ambassador of Panama. I participated in several community events in Virginia, West Virginia, Florida and North Carolina. I even was invited to participate in the inaugural Governor’s Parade of Tim Kaine in 2006.

Initially, I thought my husband was a nice and decent guy. Eventually, he became abusive to me, not only physically but also emotionally and verbally. I suffered two years of violence of all forms. I remembered how he pushed me around, slapped me, tried to strangle me or called me names. I could see no light at the end of the tunnel. Because of this dreadful situation, I had all my self-esteem, confidence, and personality, beaten out of me. I left my abusive husband in September of 2007 and I did not look back. At that point, I took back my life. I was in the middle of figuring out my next move, but I had to pay my bills in the meantime. I asked myself several times if I should return to Panama or if I should I stay in the United States. I decided to stay in the United States, the land of dreams. My aim was to achieve the “American dream”. As you may know, sometimes this dream can be a nightmare. It is nearly impossible to support yourself here. I was overloaded with debt in 2008. Every month, much of my income as an insurance agent went to paying off my mortgage in Panama and I was left with little else at the end of the month.

I decided to complement my full time job. As a consequence, I was working as a part-time hostess in a fine dining restaurant. I have to admit that I enjoyed working in the kitchen as well as in the front of the house. I recovered my mental health by interacting with the customers and getting a better understanding of the restaurant industry in the United States. Even though there were long working hours, it was a pleasure working there. However, there were some negative circumstances that I faced there. First, my financial situation did not significantly change because I was not able to be part the tip pool. The reason for this is because my position was grouped with traditional non-tipped employees like cooks, dishwashers and chefs who usually work out of sight from the bar or dining area. Second, I was employed "at will." If you are employed at will, your employer does not need good cause to fire you Guess what...after one year of service as a hostess, my employer fired me for no reason. I was not the only one who was fired. Four other employees with Latin roots were also hired on the same day.

In 2014, I decided to relocate to New York. I was eager to explore new opportunities, however I got sick. Now that I had recovered my health, I have the goal to start a catering business for movie sets, social events, non-profit galas, weddings, private parties, convention and corporate events, executive luncheons, and social events. My level of confidence is high because I am up on food trends and I have an entrepreneurial spirit.. Recently, I became a member of ROC-NY, a restaurant employee advocacy group.. As a restaurant worker, I learned that there are several challenges to overcome. Based on my personal experience, the wages are not fair. The majority of the restaurant workers are living without a safety net. In addition, since hosts have wide customer interaction, similar to servers and bartenders, hosts should legally participate in the restaurant’s tip pool along with other tipped employees. Another challenge is that restaurant workers need to know their rights. For instance, there are very limited legal rights to fight against termination if you are hired at will. For instance, if your employer is subject to federal and state laws prohibiting job discrimination, you cannot be fired because of your origin, race, orientation, religion, or gender.

In conclusion, I just shared many experiences in my life, the emotional, mental and physical harm I experienced and finally my goals toward success in the food industry.