{"id":65,"date":"2025-04-28T22:06:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T22:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2025\/alexavhe\/?page_id=65"},"modified":"2025-05-14T01:11:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T01:11:28","slug":"the-backbone-of-the-kitchen","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2025\/alexavhe\/","title":{"rendered":"The Backbone of the Kitchen: Immigrants in the Food and Restaurant Industry Under Threat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In Los Angeles, undocumented restaurant workers are the backbone of a thriving food scene, but under the Trump administration, their livelihoods are under threat. As ICE raids spread across the city, some restaurant employers are taking a stand to protect the very workers who keep them running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The names of a source and businesses in this article were changed to protect their identities and prevent potential retaliation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Photo by Alexa Hernandez Diaz for USC Annenberg)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 6:00 a.m., Juan C., 24, wakes up to begin the first of his two daily shifts. He arrives at The Caf\u00e9 in Boyle Heights a few minutes before opening to help with prep work by slicing, organizing, and getting the kitchen ready for the morning rush. In the evenings, he puts on an apron again, this time as a line cook at a bustling seafood restaurant, most times working until 2:00 a.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan arrived in Los Angeles from Puebla, Mexico, in early 2023, with the hope of supporting his grandmother in Mexico and saving enough to start a something of their own, business that would support them. This goal seemed distant when he spent four months knocking on kitchen doors in search of under-the-table work. His only previous job was in Mexico, sewing jeans in a denim factory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI didn\u2019t know how to hold a pan,\u201d said Juan, \u201cI had to learn everything from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In just over a year, he saved $24,000 to pay back the coyote who helped him cross the border, often working seven days a week to do so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Two line cooks prepare orders during their shift at a The Caf\u00e9 in Boyle Heights. (Photo by Alexa Hernandez Diaz for USC Annenberg<\/em>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His journey to America wasn\u2019t easy. He recalls spraining his leg while crossing the desert. His family begged him to turn back. \u201cBut I had already made the decision. I had to try,\u201d he said. Juan misses his grandmother, who raised him, and his nieces, whom he calls his \u201cown daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMy mom sometimes cries on the phone and I tell her everything\u2019s okay, even when it\u2019s not. If we focus on the sadness, we won\u2019t be able to keep going. So we keep going (\u00e9chale ganas).\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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A Workforce America Relies On<\/strong> But Rarely Acknowledges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Immigrants have long been the backbone of the U.S. restaurant industry. According to the National Restaurant Association, 21 percent of restaurant workers are immigrants, and a significant share of those workers are undocumented. Some estimates suggest nearly one million undocumented individuals are employed in restaurants across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These workers typically hold back-of-house positions such as line cooks, dishwashers, prep workers, and bussers. These roles demand long hours and physical stamina for low wages and few protections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany people are thinking about closing their businesses because\u2026 they are questioning, well, is this worth it?\u201d<\/em> said Juan Carranza, an economics expert and Director of Immigrant Entrepreneurship at the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative (CVIIC). The CVIIC organization supports immigrant communities in California through legal, economic, and technical assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are having businesses and pop-up businesses and mobile vendors closing down their business operations and considering going back to Mexico with their entire family,\u201d<\/em> he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cImmigrants are not just part of the restaurant industry, they are its foundation. From the prep table to the cash register, their labor keeps kitchens running and communities fed, yet their contributions are too often overlooked in policy debates,\u201d says Juan Carranza, Economy Expert and Director of Immigrant Entrepreneurship at the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThere should not be any doubt about the contributions and the positive impact that these communities make in the United States\u2026 the majority of them are here to make a positive impact and contribution,\u201d <\/strong><\/em>said Juan Carranza, CVIIC Director <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Caf\u00e9 owners are chatting alongside their employees in Boyle Heights. (Photo by Alexa Hernandez Diaz for USC Annenberg<\/em>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWe Are Not Afraid\u201d: the Power of Community <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tucked in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood known for its rich immigrant history and working-class roots, A Caf\u00e9 stands as more than a caf\u00e9. It\u2019s a beacon of resistance, resilience, and radical community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: The real name of the restaurant has been withheld to protect the privacy of its owners and staff, who have requested anonymity due to ongoing immigration-related concerns.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Founded during the height of the pandemic by Elisa and her partner Leo, Picaresca was built with little savings but a deep love for community and culture. What started as a pop-up selling roasted coffee at local farmers markets has grown into a full caf\u00e9 and kitchen that are run largely by undocumented workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t visible at first, but the community<\/strong> found us. They embraced us.\u201d Elisa said.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their story is a testament to grassroots entrepreneurship. Elisa and Leo saved their stimulus checks and unemployment funds, roasted beans by hand, and collaborated with small chefs to host pop-ups. When they moved into a larger location in 2023, they hired a team of back-of-house staff who many of whom, like Juan, are undocumented immigrants from Latin America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThese workers are the hardest working people I\u2019ve ever met,\u201d Elisa shared. \u201cThey clean grease traps, prep everything from scratch, and come in even when they\u2019re exhausted from working two jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Dishwasher during their shift. (Photo by Alexa Hernandez Diaz for Annenberg Media)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Elisa and Leo don\u2019t just provide employment. They\u2019ve hosted Know Your Rights workshops, hung posters in the kitchen and front of house, and spoken openly with staff about their rights and protections should ICE ever enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cStill, we\u2019ve lost workers. People are scared but the community keeps us going. Activists bring flyers, artists donate posters, customers remind us we\u2019re not alone.\u201d -Picaresca Co-Owner, Elisa <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“Know Your Rights” flyers were hung within the restaurant by community activists. (Photo by Alexa Hernandez Diaz for Annenberg Media)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Flyers making statements on keeping ICE out of their business (Photo by Alexa Hernandez Diaz for Annenberg Media)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With these flyers, owners are sending a message that they will stand up for the undocumented immigrant community. Elisa expresses her commitment to her unauthorized workers through these Know Your Rights posters and statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n