Hispanic Population Includes Jose Mier
With a name like Jose Mier it’s not surprising you’ll find me in Sun Valley, California. Latinos make up the majority of the population here and it’s reflected not only on our faces and speech but in the whole environment of our community. That includes the type of stores you’ll find lining our Sun Valley Streets.
Drive down any thoroughfare in Sun Valley and you’re more likely than not to spot some sort of Latino business, from restaurants to bakeries to supermarkets. Some of these names may seem strange to gringos but a panaderia is merely a bakery. The word pan in Spanish means bread. You’re also find carnecerias and supermercados.
More often than not inside these establishments you’ll find Spanish being spoken. The signs may also be written in Spanish. For those who aren’t Latino the products inside our Sun Valley supermarkets may seem a little strange. You may see fruits and vegetables that you normally wouldn’t see on the shelves at Ralphs. Even if you’re not Latino and you’re looking to create some great Mexican cuisine, you’re in luck in Sun Valley because the stores are going to stock the items that you can’t find elsewhere, like chorizo or beef for carne asada.
The need is there to cater to our Latino residents and one store in particular does a great job of it. That’s Vallarta supermarket on Sherman Way. It’s located close to the Burbank Hollywood airport and if you’re looking for anything from queso fresco to crema you’ll find it here. It’s just part of the way that Hispanics have left their mark on our area of Southern California and it’s what makes Sun Valley unique.
