Guadalupe is living the American dream: “No one believed me, they all said I was crazy.”

This the second of our stories in our series spotlighting U.S. businesses in celebration of Independence Day.

“After years of working for someone else, I decided it was time to pursue my dream of bringing the food of my childhood to my new home.”

You can tell Guadalupe is a passionate woman from the moment you place your order at El Pipila. She is constantly moving around assembling the plates, but keeping an eye on everything that’s going on, making sure everyone receives the best service.

Her passion comes in part from her journey to the United States, and as she discusses it Guadalupe’s eyes fill with tears. Her daughter, Brenda, does most of the talking, to help her mother through it. Sixteen years ago Guadalupe decided to leave Guanajuato, a state in central Mexico, and join her relatives in the U.S.

Read Guadalupe's full story on Kiva's Medium page -->>