Mexican Restaurants and the American Dream : Daniel Renteria and Max Arredondo with Fruteria Tropical in Plano, Texas

One of my favorite memories about growing up in Acapulco, Guerrero is enjoying succulent fruit snacks during school recess. They were remarkably simple snacks served in small, plastic bags or cups. The most popular snacks were sliced mango, jicama, and cucumber sprinkled with salt, lime juice, and piquin chile. For me, these treats represent an important symbol of Mexican life.

I was happy to find Fruteria Tropical, a small fruit store in Plano, Texas that serves sliced fruits and juices. The owners were kind to let me interrupt their daily routines to make room for photos. We spent a little over an hour.

The fruteria is run by Daniel Renteria, Max Arredondo and their families all of whom have cultural ties to Mexico. I interviewed Daniel who is originally from the region of Tierra Caliente Guerrero. He believes that achieving the American Dream is an important milestone for any immigrant who comes to the United States. “Bad administrations in our home country does not allow for opportunities to exits therefore we immigrate to this beautiful country that offers so many. We come here to triumph” he says. I asked him if Fruteria Tropical represent to him an embodiment of the American Dream. To a certain extent his answer was yes, however he wishes to open more locations to offer employment opportunities to more Mexicans and hispanics. For Daniel, expanding his business this way represents a more complete picture of the American Dream.