With the news of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) ending, the Salvadoran community is in navigation mode. There are more than 50,000 Salvadorans with TPS in Los Angeles. As each of one of them starts counting the days of the next 18 months--awaiting news of their future in the United States or making plans to re-enter a country they haven't seen in more than a decade--Angelenos of all backgrounds have their very own dreadful countdown to helm.
Who will make our pupusas?
“Within the community, my sales have dropped by at least 30%,” says Salvador Sanchez. He is the 60-year-old owner of Mama’s International Tamales, a popular Salvadoran restaurant in Westlake. “This started months ago, a lot of my customers are saving. They are preparing to return.” He attributes this to his loyal clientele with TPS gearing up for the worst-case scenario. In turn, they are limiting their spending.
However, it's not all about the loss of sales. Sanchez explains that if one out of ten Salvadorans is deported or if a path isn’t paved for them to stay legally, maintaining the cultural customs and culinary Salvadoran traditions in LA will become more difficult for those who stay. “If we don’t offer our culture to our children, our children start to change and perhaps they won’t be interested in their culture.” To separate families would interrupt the intergenerational exchange that the culture and the stories, recipes, and customs that depend on.