In 2008, she started a job at Hormel Foods as a production worker. Soon she became a line worker and in 2023, she accepted the position of line supervisor, which helped her gain confidence and find joy in connecting with her co-workers on a deeper level.
She appreciates that she gets to work with people from many cultures and backgrounds, and part of her job as a supervisor is to make sure that newcomers grasp essential work regulations, understand the production processes, and become familiar with the necessary equipment. This sometimes involves finding translators to help clarify instructions that team members don’t fully understand because of language differences. She also values the continuous growth that comes with her position because it involves learning something new every day and feeling valued by her company and supervisors, which provides a deep sense of satisfaction.
A holiday gathering turned into a global feast when team members brought in dishes representing Mexico, Thailand, Burma, Ethiopia, Sudan, North Africa and the Philippines, just to name a few. Much of the food was new to her. What she thought was a familiar wheat tortilla turned out to be a spongy fermented flatbread from Africa called injera. Tasty Filipino steamed rice has become a group favorite. At the most recent potluck, Mayra prepared her family recipe for shrimp ceviche, a dish made by marinating shrimp in lemon juice, served cold with diced onion, tomato and cilantro.
For Mayra it is important to teach her children about their Mexican background by sharing the flavors of her childhood. They sometimes show hesitation when presented with unfamiliar dishes, but Mayra encourages them to try everything. She reassures them that these foods are not strange but rather a part of their cultural heritage.
The Goal Ahead
While the family remains deeply connected, getting together with her siblings has become infrequent given their busy schedules. Mayra makes a point of visiting her parents in Guerrero once a year with her children. She especially misses how her parents used to gather the whole family together for a big lunch every Sunday after church.
Her home country has never left her mind. Mayra’s senses come alive as she looks forward to being surrounded by the abundant mango trees that provide her favorite fruit among the lush beauty of Tlalixtaquilla. She can see in her mind’s eye the rolling hills and fruitful plains, where the fertile soil is used to cultivate the family’s milpa, an indigenous farming system where corn, beans, squash and chiles grow together for sustainability.
While she’s enjoyed her time in Minnesota and appreciates the opportunities it provided her and her family, Mayra looks forward to returning to her pueblito (little village) when she retires. The pursuit of a better life is a deeply personal quest that can sometimes lead us full circle, back to the places where our heart belongs.
