Oscar Ponce Gomez interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2014-02-14
In this interview, San Marcos Grocery's owner Oscar Ponce Gomez talks about his journey from Mexico to Indiana and then on to Toledo, Ohio. He describes opening his grocery store and restaurant. He describes the types of foods offered, and explains why it is different from Tex-Mex, and the pride he takes in its being homemade, authentic, and high-quality. He talks about specific dishes…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Ponce Gomez, Oscar - Long, Lucy M.
Date:2014-01-01
Audio Recording
Nailam Elkhechen interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2014-05-22
Originally from Lebanon, nutritionist, traditional cook, and food-store customer Nailam Elkhechen discusses shopping at ethnic groceries (particularly Middle Eastern stores) in Toledo, Ohio and Dearborn, Michigan. She describes the role ethnic groceries play in their communities as social spaces; their relationship to the economic networks within the ethnic community; store owners and staff and their interactions with customers and their surrounding communities; and how…
Bahaa Hariri interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2014-05-20
Bahaa Hariri is the son of a Middle Eastern grocery store owner in Toledo, Ohio. He talks about the history of the store (Halal Meat Market) and its role within the local Middle Eastern community. The store doesn't need to Americanize their offerings because so many of their customers are Arabic. He explains how food brings ethnic communities like his together, but how his…
Younes Dia interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2014-05-20
Younes Dia, the Lebanese-American owner of So Sweet Lebanese and French Pastries shop in Toledo, Ohio, discusses the historic connections between Lebanese and French pastry making. He relates his personal history, his family's history, and the challenges of establishing his new store, which opened three months ago. He talks about the Middle Eastern community in Toledo; marketing Lebanese food to non-ethnic customers; running his…
Revathi Chillapalli interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2014-03-20
Revathi Chillapalli discusses her motivations for opening her store, the Deepam Grocery, Catering, Deli, and Restaurant. She talks about her desire to create community and to share her cooking skills. She also discusses regional Indian cooking styles; the southeastern Indian state of Andhra where she comes from; entering the food business; nutrition and healthy eating; holidays and celebrations; religious dietary guidelines; and the ethnic…
Iryna Snyadanko interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2014-04-16
Ukrainian-born Iryna Snyadanko had worked in a grocery store in her homeland before immigrating. She talks about earning a degree in hospitality management since coming to the US about a decade ago. She describes starting and running her grocery store, the Ukrainian Village and Deli Grocery in Parma Heights, Ohio; and her interest in establishing a business that utilizes her expertise as a manager…
Sypha Ham interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2014-03-18
Sypha Ham, the owner and operator of Westgate Import Market in Columbus, Ohio talks about leaving Cambodia and coming to the US as a refugee; and settling first in Virginia before moving to Ohio in 1981. She discusses opening one of the first stores in the area to offer Cambodian and southeast Asian food; her family and their relationship to her store; the long…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Long, Lucy M. - Ham, Sypha
Date:2014-01-01
Audio Recording
George Neiden and Maria Neiden interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2015-06-23
Maria Neiden and George Neiden (mother and son) talk about the history of their sausage-making business and store, their personal histories, and their attitudes towards their work. They share thoughts on the value of well-crafted food and on keeping alive ethnic food traditions. They express pride in the healthfulness of their products; their approach to work; the challenges of juggling a family business with…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Neiden, Maria - Long, Lucy M. - Neiden, George
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Gifty F. Kwakye interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2015-06-01
Gifty Kwakye, owner and operator of Gifty African Market in Columbus, Ohio, discusses how and why she opened her grocery store; the differences between African and American store management; her long hours and how her family helps out; and how much she enjoys her customers. She also talks about how her shop serves as a social center for the local Ghanaian community as well…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Kwakye, Gifty F. - Long, Lucy M.
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Ernest Afful interview conducted by Lucy Long, 2015-06-01
Ernest Afful, whose parents own and operate Accra African Market in Columbus, was born in Ghana and grew up in the US. He talks about how and why his parents started the store, and what he enjoys about working there. He also discusses his family's immigration history; growing up African in the US; and his work environment. He explains that most of the store's…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Long, Lucy M. - Afful, Ernest