Taqueria Arandas

In 1981, my parents pawned everything they owned in order to open their first Taqueria.  My father would tell us the story of how he asked his first customer to pay in advance so that he could run across the street and buy more food to cook.  That’s one of my favorites.  From then on the Taqueria was a success!  My father called my grandparents and told them to come to Houston and bring his brothers.

Under my father’s leadership, the Camarena family opened a second Taqueria.  Later, as my uncles began to marry, my father vetted, negotiated, and even financed their businesses.  By the early 90s, my parents had managed to create a lifestyle for my father’s family and for us.  Life was almost perfect.

It wasn’t until 2001 that my parents became US residents.  In 2006, they finally became citizens of the United States of America.  I remember the day my parents became citizens. My father cried for the second time in his life, hugged my mother, and told us, “we made it, we finally made it”.

My sisters and I have been brought up with remarkable stories of struggles and triumphs.  We have been brought up with an unwavering commitment to fight and hard work.  Even though we were fortunate enough to be born American citizens. We have been marked by the story of their perseverance.  My father’s resilience and my mother’s compassion have defined who we are and how we will continue to serve others.