Flora Baron had a comfortable childhood in northern Mexico, attending university and worked as an administrative assistant before marrying a successful rural veterinarian. But her husband’s business struggled when the recession forced local farmers to bankruptcy.
“That’s when we came to America,” she explains. “Our plan was to come here for two years and work, save some money, then go back and open a bigger clinic.”
The pair arrived on a tourist visa in late 1993 and moved temporarily with their uncle in Fort Wayne. They didn’t speak much English and became temporarily homeless when their housing arrangements fell. “It was very difficult. I didn’t know where to go,” recalls Baron.
Luckily, families from the local God’s meeting provided the couple with a room. The pair took language classes and received career advice at the Benito Juarez Center. They began working in restaurants and factories and rented their own apartments.
When their church hired Baron’s husband to run a Spanish radio show, they were still planning to return to Mexico. This job helped couples get their green cards. From there the door opened. Baron received his Bachelor’s degree in Education from Purdue University, Fort Wayne and a Master’s degree in Education from Indiana Wesleyan. For the next 20 years she taught mathematics at Fort Wayne public schools.
Baron then recalled the veterinary clinic that she and her husband didn’t run. “I had a lot of regrets about it,” she said. “But I knew here that if we worked hard we could have started a successful business. That has always been my true dream.”
In 2017, the couple opened a Mexican kitchen food truck at Flora & Lily, followed by a coffee trailer, two coffee shops and a high-speed restaurant called Pikoso. The couple currently employs 30 people. Despite the tensions of the pandemic, their businesses are thriving. “After all the financial worries we had in Mexico, we found that working hard can be a success in America,” says Baron.
She also volunteers at International House, a centre for immigration. Hope Center, a pregnancy counseling group. CASA Advocate is an advocacy center for children. “Fort Wayne was there for us, and we want to give something back,” explains Baron. “I am very grateful to the community that helped me achieve my dreams.”
