People of the Mercado

María Judith Reyes is an independent woman whose innate quick-wittedness helped her succeed in school as a child and later as an adult at her various places of employment. She never imagined that she would one day be a line lead in a bustling restaurant in the City of Angels, where she would unexpectedly establish roots.

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María and her family lived in the rural town of Tumbiscatío de Ruiz, Michoacán, México, during the earlier part of her childhood. Here, she and other children had great freedom to explore the local mountains, search for wild fruit trees, and play along natural creeks. At the age of 10, María witnessed a change in the usually bustling town; the school closed down due to a conflict between students and teachers, electrical power was cut off for a reason unknown to her, and the logging companies which the townspeople depended on stopped production. The lack of economic stability and educational opportunity led María’s parents to leave the small town for the major city of Uruapan, Michoacán.

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In Uruapan, María first recognized the economic disparity between her family and others. In particular, María fixated on people’s shoes, noticing that other children had shoes for different occasions. In contrast, María only had one pair of sneakers that she wore all the time, even with dresses. Realizing that her family struggled financially, María chose not to further her education. Instead, she began to work at a young age to contribute to the family income. She first worked as a phone booth operator and then at a gift shop, where she oversaw some of the behind-the-scenes business aspects. Here, María came across inventory packages from places worldwide, piquing her interest in life outside of Uruapan, which led her to migrate to the United States at age 30.

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María planned to stay in Los Angeles for two years and return home; 16 years later, Maria still lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. She found work as a cook in Chichén Itzá restaurant and ascended to line lead at its sister restaurant, and Michelin Guide recognized Holbox, both within Mercado La Paloma. María absorbs the knowledge imparted to her by every experience and plans to use it in her own business one day. In addition, she hopes to own a home and to see her children achieve successful careers. María reminisces of the scents of her homeland, including those of her mother’s cooking, and yearns to visit her elderly parents, whom she has not seen since she first left.