Hispanic Heritage Month Employee Spotlight: Alyssa Ruiz
Joining our Hispanic Heritage spotlight series this month is Sales Content Marketing Specialist, Alyssa Ruiz, graciously answered five questions for us about her heritage, family, and career—here are her insights:
What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
It is a wonderful life, but I must say reminiscing about all the recipes cooked, holiday gatherings celebrated, piñatas annihilated and countless carne asadas attended; Hispanic Heritage Month makes all these memories with my family that much sweeter.
Some background on you, your family and your heritage
During this time, I think a lot about my maternal grandfather or “tata.” He was born January 17th, 1919, in Puruándiro, Michoacán, Mexico. After World War II, the United States became one of the leading powerhouse nations. Entering in the Cold War had only secured their place but they needed much help in the homeland while a majority of America’s workforce was away fighting. Established in 1942 by executive order, the Bracero Program was a program that allowed Mexican immigrants to work in the United States as farm laborers in the fields to harvest crop.
Among the 75,000 braceros between 1947-1949 contributing to the agricultural demands in America, was my tata Leobardo Méndez. He had received a legal government issued visa as a “right-of-passage” to participate in the war effort in support of the United States. He worked in Somerton, Arizona, a city where he eventually bought property and a home. After the Bracero Program ended in 1964, my grandfather requested and was granted US passports for his wife, children, and himself and continued to work in the Yuma; where he and his family have called Somerton “home” ever since.
His decision to work in the United States and settle with his family here is a key part of my proud Mexican American heritage and I couldn’t be more thankful.
What are a few family tradition(s) you have that you wish to pass down?
There’s so much!
Quinceañeras - A traditional ceremony for when a girl turns 15. A quinceañera is held in honor of her place in the family, symbolize her womanhood and celebrate her becoming an adult. The quinceañera choses new godparents, receives a church blessing, and selects a Corte de Honor, similar to that of a wedding party. She choses her Chambelán de honor, or a head male escort (typically a cousin) and typically has 7 damas (similar to bridesmaids) and 7 chambelans (similar to groomsmen). This makes up 15 people in the main court to symbolize the 15th birthday along with the flower girls or “damitas.” My sister and I both had a quinceañera and especially being two of three girls in the family, it was an event to the nines! It’s still my favorite memory.
Tamale Making – My family loves getting into the holiday spirit by getting together and kicking off the December by cooking, folding, and steaming tamales. Aside of having a big family, we really do have a special place in our hearts for this specialty during the holiday season and everyone wants to take home extras! We make an average of 250 tamales or about 20 dozen!
Rosca De Reyes – Every January 6th , we celebrate El Día de Los Tres Reyes Magos or “Three Kings Day.” It marks the end of Carnival and Mardi Gras with the arrival of the three kings that visited the messiah. The bread is absolutely covered with colorful crystalized sugar to symbolize jewels and eaten with café de olla, a special strong and sweet cinnamon coffee, or Mexican hot chocolate. It’s usually shaped in a circle and there’s a hidden, mini plastic baby Jesus that’s put into the bread after it’s baked. After that, it’s like a roulette and because everyone wants the delicious bread, you go up and cut your own slice to see if you got that baby. If you do have the fortune of getting it, you have to make tamales for the whole family or host a big cookout at your house on February 2nd for everyone.
Piñatas – From carefully picking out your favorite colorful piñata and filling it with your favorite candy , I adored this birthday tradition growing up. For me, no birthday is ever complete without a piñata!
Who has been the greatest influence in your career?
I endlessly admire my tía Ana. She is my aunt and Leobardo’s eldest child. Her work ethic is remarkable, photographic memory is unmatched and she’s the most organized person I know.
When my grandfather was working she single handedly took on the three roles of a motherly figure, a role model and an agricultural worker to provide a second income and for care for her younger siblings, including my mom. She’s worked in the fields since her early twenties and leaves her home every high season to California just before summer and coming back just as Fall begins.
She’s received constant praise from her supervisors and rose through the ranks and was chosen to be one of the first tractor operators in her group. She learned how to drive a John Deere, do it with precision, analyze the time per field and row by eye, and does it every day before the sun comes out and when it sets. She’s turning 66 next month and continues to take lots of pride in the work; pressing her shirt and shining her shoes every day before she takes off from her trailer to start the day again with a Yeti and her pink handkerchief in hand.
If I had to point out just one lesson I learned from her, it’s that you should always take pride in the work you do. Do good work and always set time aside to acknowledge your hard work by celebrating the fruits of your labor, literally and metaphorically.
What’s something you enjoy doing when visiting family in Yuma?
Visiting Refresqueria La Paloma
There is a little shop that’s been around for decades called Refresqueria La Paloma in Somerton, AZ. My grandfather, my mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins; when I say everyone’s been a customer, I mean it! They sell snacks like vegetables or fruit with lime and chili powder and most notably, they sell raspados. Raspados are similar to a Hawaiian shaved ice but the ice is thicker. You can get flavors popular flavors like mango with tamarindo or “vainilla con leche” which has a vanilla base and a drizzle of condensed milk at the top and the taste is similar to a bubble tea! Being just a few blocks away from my family’s house, La Paloma been the savior to many hot Arizona days and a great way to enjoy a walk and treat in the cooler months.
The Somerton Tamale Festival
Just when life couldn’t get any better, there is in fact a such a thing as a tamale festival and it is held in downtown Somerton, again only a few blocks from my family’s house. Truly, the best thing since sliced bread. Every December 40+ individual families participate as vendors and sell ALL flavors of tamales and they get a chance to compete for the ultimate bragging rights award “Best Tamale of The Year.” There is a whole line up of live music, dances, a beer garden, carnival games and snacks. Since the proceeds help fund ASU scholarships to through the El Diablito Alumni Association, you know every purchase you make is going to the good food and a great cause.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself
My family story is published in Arizona State University’s Academic Research Database under the “Our Stories” project where I helped 50 students research their family trees, create a walk-through museum of their findings and produce a documentary for the project showcasing their family’s migration/immigration stories and listen to interviews they conducted with relatives. I was even invited to speak on a panel at the annual Southwest Oral History Association to present the course’s research methods, projects and discoveries.
