Alma López and Mario Puga, Interview by Kieran W. Taylor, 6 October 2021
Title
Alma López and Mario Puga, Interview by Kieran W. Taylor, 6 October 2021
Description
Alma López and Mario Puga were born in Mexico. In this interview, they focus on their experiences as workers. Puga tells he started working at a young age with his father and asserts children mature quickly in Mexico. As a young man, he joined his brothers in Rhode Island, where he finished high school. When he returned to Mexico, he met López. She worked in housekeeping. Later, both separately immigrated to the United States. López was with her family in Johns Island and Puga joined her. There both worked in agriculture and progressively moved to less physically demanding jobs. López learned English at Our Lady of Mercy and became active in the community. In 2015, she opened a cleaning business. In 2020, the COVID pandemic caused a severe decrease in revenue in her business. Seeking a way to support themselves during these trying times, they decided to dig into their cultural roots and sell food. They knew there was a need: Latino workers did not have a place to buy breakfast in the morning. López and Puga discuss the nuances of the food truck business and assert that it is a very tiring activity. They state the biggest reward in this endeavor is to share their food with their clients and receive their appreciation.
Source
Working Charleston
Publisher
The Citadel Archives & Museum
Date
Rights
Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.
Format
audio/mpeg
Language
English
Type
Text
Identifier
https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/2008
Coverage
Charleston (S.C.)
Original Format
Mp3 derivative audio created with Audacity software. Archival masters are WAV files.
Duration
1 hour, 1 minute
Interviewer
Taylor, Kieran W.
Interviewee
López, Alma
Puga, Mario
Location
Charleston, South Carolina
Collection
Citation
The Charleston Oral History Program at the Citadel, “Alma López and Mario Puga, Interview by Kieran W. Taylor, 6 October 2021,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed April 23, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/2008.