Scranton Community Celebrates Hispanic and Latinx Businesses

Each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month is observed to celebrate the cultures, histories, and stories of Americans who have immigrated from or have ancestors that come from Central or South America, Spain, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It is a time for Americans with roots from the participating countries and territories to highlight the many facets of their culture and for all of us to join as community members to learn more about our neighbors.

To mark the culmination of the celebration of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month this year, University of Scranton students in Dr. Roxana Curiel’s World Languages and Cultures Spanish language-based course, Service and the Hispanic Community, have undertaken a community-based learning project with United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania to spotlight businesses in Scranton neighborhoods owned and operated by individuals from a range of Latin American countries. Students in Dr. Curiel’s course have worked to create business profiles and United Neighborhood Centers and the University of Scranton Office of Community Relations are sharing these profiles on social media in celebration of Hispanic/Latinx heritage month, which runs through October 15th.

This project is an example of Community Based Learning (CBL), which aims to engage University of Scranton students with the greater Scranton community; during the Fall 2020 semester these activities have taken place remotely. Through this project, Dr. Curiel’s students had the opportunity to learn more about our neighboring small business owners here in Scranton who have roots in a range of Latin American countries and to understand and highlight their business stories to raise awareness of the diversity in our City. 

The student’s profiles underscore one of the highlights of the Scranton area – its local cuisine, which offers something for just about everyone. For lovers of Hispanic and Latin food, the offerings are equally as plentiful with favorites such as Chicano’s Restaurant (Mexican) on Cedar Avenue, Cura’s Restaurant (Mexican) on Prospect Avenue, and Mi Ranchito Bakery and Colombian Restaurant (Colombian). There are also newer spots to visit like Frutas Locas, serving smoothies and tamales, on Meadow Avenue and La Chingada Restaurante y Carniceria Mexicana (Mexican) on Cedar Avenue. Perhaps one of the best kept secrets in the city of Scranton is Florita’s Bakery offering fresh pastries and made to order cakes including dulce de leche cake with fresh fruit. The many varied options just in the city of Scranton alone speak to the rich diversity of the many Latin American cultures and groups represented in our community.

To view all the profiles, and to support these businesses with in-person or take-out meal options, please visit the Welcoming Scranton Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/welcomingscranton. Profiles can also be viewed on the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania Facebook page @uncnepa and on The University of Scranton Office of Community Relations Facebook page @uscrantoncommunityrelations.