This article was written by intern Isabella Beltran. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
A new Oaxacan arts and crafts store opened in mid-April in Hollister, bringing traditional and unique products.
“The most popular thing here for the kids are the bracelets,” said Maria Hernandez, owner of Artesanis y Manualidades Lina. “That’s what has pushed me a lot, what has helped me continue with my businesses.”
Hernandez, originally from the Triqui region of Oaxaca, Mexico, spoke about how kids will come up to her stand and ask for a personalized bracelet, which she is able to make in just a few minutes.
In addition to the bracelets, Hernandez has also discovered that the food goods she brings are very popular among people.
“Here in the town, most of the people that work in the field are people from Oaxaca [or] Guerrero who consume our products, and I think this is the support we have had, because of them our products have been getting out,” she said.
Today in her store, she has handmade products like bracelets, graduation leis and woven blouses. She also offers food goods like quesillo, grasshoppers, dried meat, various types of mole and artisanal bread imported from Oaxaca.
Hernandez began selling her products at 101 Red Barn by Highway 101 in Aromas, California. At first, she only had one table and little by little it grew into two and then three, offering more products and attracting more clients.
“I saw the reaction of people who were actually enjoying my crafts, they were liking my products,” she said.
Over time, she dreamed of having her own space where she could show everything she has to offer.
“That was my dream. To have a space to establish myself and bring a bit more of Mexican crafts, which, above all, aren’t really here in Hollister,” she said.
Even though Hernandez had these dreams, the journey wasn’t easy and she had to face her fear of being rejected along with not being able to speak English.
“I had been looking for the opportunity to rent and start my business but I hadn’t been able to have that opportunity due to the language barrier, which was one of my obstacles,” she said.
She said communicating with property owners and understanding contracts was a challenge, but eventually the owner of the space on 4th St. offered her the opportunity she needed. After years of selling at markets and fairs, Hernandez opened her store.
Hernandez said that her difficult experience with opening her store and her wish to better communicate with her strictly English-speaking clients have led her to take classes on the language at Gavilan College.
But she also said that she has more dreams for the future of her store.
“Our dream is to one day expand it a little, something bigger [and] more stocked, because honestly, there are so many things we’d like to have here and bring,” she said.
The hardest part
Hernandez had a difficult journey to make her business a reality and get to where she is now.
With the help of her sisters, Hernandez fled a bad domestic situation with her three children, making her way to the U.S.
“The only thing I managed to bring was a suitcase full of threads,” Hernandez said. That suitcase would become the start of her journey as the owner of her own business selling Oaxacan handmade crafts, a skill she learned since she was a little girl.
Success hasn’t been without sacrifice. Before having her store, Hernandez would spend every Sunday at 101 Red Barn, without fail, which meant losing time with her kids. Now, with the store open every day, the work is even more demanding.
“The hardest part was the time, because what has been a little hard is, for example, spending time with my kids on Sunday,” she said.
This has been especially true with the onset of graduation season, when Hernandez said she spent 12 hours in the store making graduation leis for her clients.
However, she said that it’ll be “a sacrifice that later we hope all this will pay off.”
The store is located at 1270 4th St. and is open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m every day.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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