Hispanic entrepreneurs continue to bring restaurants, construction, retail and real estate into North Mississippi.
NEW ALBANY, Miss (WTVA) – Hispanic entrepreneurs continue to bring restaurants, construction, retail and real estate into North Mississippi.
Latino-owned businesses are the fastest growing type of small businesses in the United States.
WTVA spoke with a couple entrepreneurs in New Albany.
Moises Lemus has lived in the area most of his life. He is the owner of El Agave and Nico’s, which recently opened in the downtown area in September.
Moises Lemus opened Nico’s in September. He said this is a restaurant with American-Italian cuisine.
“Nico’s is just a fun American-Italian cuisine that we kind of twisted and put together,” he said.
Over the last few years, El Agave has expanded with three additional locations in Oxford, Southaven and Tupelo.
Over the last few years, El Agave has expanded with three additional locations in Oxford, Southaven and Tupelo.
Lemus’ family moved to the U.S. from Mexico when he was in middle school. He said his parents sought better job opportunities.
“My dad was hired with Mi Pueblo, with our cousin,” he said. “You know, with Hispanics, alot of times you kind of reach out to your family or your friends first and you’re like, ‘Hey, we’re opening this business. Come help me out.”
Lemus’ first job was in the restaurant industry. He worked all through high school and college.
“It’s kind of like one of those things that you’ve been in for so long that it’s kind of a part of you.”
Lemus said the restaurant industry comes with its challenges. He said people need to be passionate about it or they can burn out.
“I just kind of embraced that because I enjoy working at the restaurant.”
Gissel Rivera also loves what she does. She earned her real estate license over the last year.
“I love it,” she said. “I love it. When I first actually started, it was everything related to my construction business.”
She is a realtor with Crye Leike in Tupelo, and she owns I&G Painting and Construction.
In addition to doing real estate, Gissel Rivera owns I&G Painting and Construction.
Rivera’s family also immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico when she was young. She said her family also sought better job opportunities.
Gissel Rivera said her family came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was young, looking for better job opportunities.
Her mother’s wish was to one day own a home, but was not able to fulfill that wish.
“For me, it’s very personal,” Rivera said. “So, my main goal is to actually help my community own their own property. We are the most hardworking people out there, and we deserve to own our own property.”
Whether it is real estate or the restaurant industry, being an entrepreneur comes with its challenges.
“You don’t want everybody to just assume, ‘Oh, this immigrant is just filling in some jobs,” Lemus said. “You got people that are actually creating jobs.”
“I mean going into the construction field, it is powered by men,” Rivera said. “When they see you as a woman, sometimes they want to take advantage of you.”
Lemus recalled a time when he explained the difference between Hispanics and non-Hispanics and the challenges
“We were talking about buying cars, and he’s like, ‘Well, you know, my daddy taught me to underdress yourself before you go buy a car because they are going to try to get you.’ And I was like, ‘Well, that works for you, but for us… It is like, if I go there, they are not going to notice me. I have to dress up just to get noticed in a car dealership.”
Lemus and Rivera are overcoming their obstacles. And as they thrive in their fields, they both said that giving back to their communities is very important to them.
“We do alot of stuff for the schools and for the churches,” Lemus said.
“My heart is heavy for my own community,” Rivera said. “That’s who I am actually dedicated to, but if somebody else needs my help, I’m always there regardless of who you are.”
