By: Emily Gonzalez

Frutería Morelia, a small business in Springfield, Oregon, was one of the many participants of “A Day Without Immigrants” on February 16, 2017. I visited the next day and spoke with business owner Laura Sanchez to hear about the outcome of the event and what it meant to her family.

 

Laura and her husband sell typical Mexican snacks like fruit prepared with lime juice and chamoy, candy, and papas preparadas. It is a strictly drive-thru venue that sees a lot of customers in the hot summers.

 

After school, daughter Annika Sanchez helps her parents in the frutería and is already a businesswoman in the making. “That’ll be six dollars,” she says to her uncle snacking on a fruit cup on the family discount.

 

The Sanchez’s travel to Woodburn, Oregon to buy their fruit in bulk when they can. Laura inspects each mango carefully to make sure her customers get the freshest pick.

 

The Frutería is the Sanchez’s piece of Michoacán, México in Oregon. They are proud of their culture and enjoy sharing it with the community of Springfield. “With or without papers, we are still Mexican,” says Laura.

 

Although their absence was felt on February 17th, the overall effect was not strong enough to make a lasting impact. The fear of repercussions was to blame for the lack of participation within the Latino community. “The support of family is not always enough,” says Laura.