Guadalupe Antonio and Ramiro Vasquez with La Oaxaqueña Bakery in Oklahoma City

Ramiro and Guadalupe are a couple and they run La Oaxaqueña Bakery in Oklahoma City. Ramiro is originally from a small town called San Pablo Huixtepec. Guadalupe is originally from a small town called Ciénega de Zimatlán. Both towns are located in the state of Oaxaca. They've been living in Oklahoma for almost sixteen years.

I asked Guadalupe if the she sees the bakery as the manifestation of the American dream. “Yes” she replied. Her husband told me that even though things look good right now, the start was a struggle. “This is our fifteenth year, when we started, our daily sales were about ten dollars. It was a long process but worth it in the end. We're now seeing the fruits of our labor.”

The concept of the restaurant is to bring a little piece of Southern Mexico to Oklahoma City, specially from the state of Oaxaca. He told me that this area of the United States had very few to no individuals from Oaxaca. “People oftentimes feel nostalgic when they visit us, every year we have pan de muerto, rosca de reyes, chocolate, and churros”

Guadalupe Antonio and Ramiro Vasquez with La Oaxaqueña Bakery in Oklahoma City, OK. November 9, 2014

Guadalupe Antonio and Ramiro Vasquez with La Oaxaqueña Bakery in Oklahoma City, OK. November 9, 2014