Almost one year since I have written my last post. No excuses but since then things have dramatically changed in my life. I won’t bore you but in September 2021 I moved back to Philadelphia! And I must say, Philly has also changed.
There has been an influx of young Latinos doing amazing things in the city. Although some of the people I worked with over 10 years ago are still here today, the new generation of “Latinos doing their thing” has been a blessing to see.
- Nicholas Ducos – Opened up Mural City Cellars, an urban winery in Fishtown, with his partner Francesca.
- Jennifer Zavala – Her dream of opening up her own restaurant came to fruition in late 2021 and currently has a chef residency at Jose Garces’ Volver in Center City.
- Francisco Garcia – Created the city’s first Latinx-distilled whiskey: Strivers’ Row Distillery.
- Chef Cristina Rodriguez – Only amazing things have been told about Chef Cristina. What started as a food truck soon turned into a James Beard Award nominated restaurant in South Philly: South Philly Barbacoa.
- Roberto Lugo – “The Ghetto Potter” is someone who does not shy away from describing his story. He works with some of the most amazing people in entertainment to create everything from vases, cups and even murals.
There are many more to name! Philadelphia’s Latino population continues to grow as well.
According to an article on whyy.org, “The United States Census Bureau estimates that over 60 million U.S. residents are Latino — that’s 18.5% of the country’s population. Of those 60 million, nearly a quarter of a million live in Philadelphia — 15.2% of the city’s population.” Although there was a decrease in Black and white residents, “The decreases were offset by a more than 27% (50,700-person) increase in the population of people who classified themselves as Hispanic or Latino and a nearly 39% increase in Asian residents (36,900 people).”
I look forward to seeing mi gente continue to grow and do amazing things.
The Professional Latino 