Seventeen years ago, Rene Antonio Mercado didn’t have any keys jingling in his
pocket. He was only 15 and an illegal alien from Guadalajara, Mexico. Today he has several keys hooked to his key
chain, including a set that makes him especially proud – the ones that belong to La
Alcancia, ‘‘The Piggybank,’’ his general store on South Main Street.
In 1982, Mercado spent his days
picking onions and beets for California farmers. After leaving a conflict back home, he
was happy to have the work and relished his independence. But it was not an easier life.
‘‘I crossed the border
with a bunch of boys, and we got lost in the desert,’’ he remembers.
‘‘After a while we found a field of watermelons. We went to the house nearby and
asked for work. We stayed there and worked for three days. But soon we found better work
at a ranch.’’
Mercado returned to Mexico for a
while, eventually studying architecture at a local university. He left his studies for a
good job at a bank where he worked for seven years. During that period, he tried to learn
everything he could about business. He hoped he’d need those skills someday.
‘‘I knew I didn’t
want to work for other people all my life,’’ he said.
In 1992, Mercado decided to leave
Mexico for the United States. This time, he promised himself he’d become a permanent
resident no matter what.
After crossing the border again,
Mercado ended up in rural Oregon. There he spent a year planting trees with some friends
from back home. It was hard work, but he didn’t mind the sacrifice. He felt strong,
confident.
After a year, Mercado’s
network of friends discovered a growing job market and better life in Charlotte. He felt
optimistic because the group was moving together.
‘‘It was a support
system that worked kind of like a village works,’’ he says. ‘‘We took
care of each other. We all found good jobs that way.’’
Antonio immediately went into
construction, working long hours to save enough money to start his own business. Though he
needed four years, he finally realized his dream when he opened La Luna, a general store
in a busy area of East Charlotte. Business was good, but Antonio pined for the rural
surroundings he grew up in.
After visiting friends who lived
in Rowan County, Antonio sold the store and packed his bags. Four months ago, he opened La
Alcancia. Here, he says, business is even better.
‘‘I’m happy to
provide the products that we have here to the growing population of Latinos,’’
he says.
Mercado estimates that about 70
percent of his customers are Mexican and 25 percent are from Central and South America.
The other 5 percent are Americans and Asians ‘‘who have good taste,’’
he jokes.
At La Alcancia, you’ll find a
wide variety of goods. From prayer candles with the soft images of the Virgin Mary to
Vogue Magazine in Spanish, the store caters to Hispanic tastes.
The produce section would probably
baffle most Rowan natives. Yucos, a Honduran vegetable similar to a potato, and cacti,
which Mexicans eat with guacamole or fry with onions and eggs, aren’t commonly found
in American grocery stores. Mercado is happy to explain where the items come from and how
to eat them.
In the dairy case, cheeses from
countries like Honduras and El Salvador come in several varieties. The drink cooler nearby
is lined with colorful bottles of orange Fanta soda, Goya fruit juices and other
Hispanic-brand beverages.
The entertainment aisle features a
wide variety of music, movies for rent and several popular magazines.
If you’re looking for natural
beauty products and remedies for common ailments, check out La Alcancia’s herbal
aisle. There you’ll see bags of chamomile, which Hispanics use to make their hair
shiny, and arnica, which is used to heal cuts and burns and extract poisons when mixed
with alcohol.
There’s also chuachalate,
which is ground to make teas to induce contractions for pregnant women.
The best selling item, Mercado
says, is pre-paid phone cards. ‘‘I sell about $10,000 worth every
month.’’
Today, each evening as he pulls
out his keys and locks up the tidy store, Mercado thanks God for his blessings.
‘‘I have a good life here,’’ he says. ‘‘I’m very happy
to be in Rowan County. It’s been good to me.’’ |
Today's Paper
