Las Vidas De Fruteros
The rainbow umbrellas that can be seen on nearly every street corner are symbolic in Los Angeles for the famous fruit in a bag with Tajin, lime, and chamoy. Although most may agree on the delicious value of these fruit bags, many do not recognize the value in the stories behind those who cut and sell the fruit every day. The many faces of these carts have similar but unique struggles, experiences, and backgrounds.
Julio Hernández Bautista, 38 years old, took on the role of a business owner when his uncle retired after 12 years of selling fruit at his cart, El Chilly’s (Fritas Frescas). Bautista embarked on this new business venture in August of 2023, leaving his full-time construction profession.
The average day for Bautista begins at 4:00 a.m. in order to serve the public by 10:00 a.m. First, he drives to downtown Los Angeles to the wholesale produce district to pick out his produce for the day, going as early as possible in order to have the first pick.
Most fruit vendors are workers for an owner of multiple fruit carts, meaning the fruit is bought in bulk. Bautista says there are advantages to being the owner. “Gracias a Dios el negocio es mío, entonces yo puedo escoger buena calidad de fruta y la gente lo puede ver,” he said, meaning people can tell the difference between his cart and others because he chooses good quality fruit. Bautista believes this sets him apart from his competitors.
Bautista has the help and support of his wife, Minerva Velasco. If Velasco is not at her job cleaning homes, she is present with their daughter and even relieves her husband at the cart so he can work on-call construction gigs.
Because Velasco has learned English over the years, while Bautista only speaks Spanish, having his wife at the stand in a middle-class neighborhood where English is the common language also helps in setting their business apart from others. Velasco has created connections and gained loyal clients through her interactions in the neighborhood.
Bautista revealed that, although he owns the fruit cart, health department law does not permit him to store it at home. Instead, it needs to be parked overnight at a commissary lot in downtown Los Angeles, where Bautista pays $300 per month. After finding a lot, Bautista was able to obtain two required permits, one from the city and another from the Los Angeles County Health Department, which requires renewal every year.
Providing for his wife and 8-year-old daughter, Bautista faces the raw difficulties of not knowing what day will be a good sales day or a slow one. Grateful for his uncle's established clientele, Bautista would find it difficult for someone to start let alone sell for another person. He says in Spanish, “To be honest, for someone with family costs, I do not think one would make ends meet.”
Rain or shine, the Chilly’s Frutas is on Las Tunas and Gerona Ave.
Although this family sheds light on the lives of fruit vendors, others have a different story. The polar opposite of this San Gabriel business owner is a fruit vendor in Santa Monica. Carlos Real, 19 years old, sells fruit at the oceanfront of Santa Monica Beach.
Fresh Fruit Montana’s has multiple workers stationed right outside the pier, Real being one of them. Real says his days usually start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 6:00 p.m. or until the sales die down. With the high volume of foot traffic, their best-selling days are Friday through Sunday.
Due to the fluctuation of sales, the owner has a different pay arrangement with each worker, whether it is by day, by hour, or by commission. For Real, it depends on the day itself; The owner decides what they will give him, and if he sells a lot, they will give him a little extra.
There is a clear marginalization of pay for Bautista and Real. It is not clear if those who find themselves in the same position as Real are legally protected and given fair wages. However, despite being a business owner himself, Bautista faces his own struggles of providing and sustaining for a family of three.
Although he may face the struggles that come with not being the owner, Real feels it is worth it. “En cada quien está, porque vender es bonito, se relaja uno aquí en el parque, y hay gente que hasta me dejan propina,” Real said. He explained that it all depends on the person. He finds fruit a beautiful thing to sell, he’s relaxed in the park and people even give him tips. Real really enjoys selling in Santa Monica, saying he has never had a bad experience.
Real has dreams of doing more in life, but for now, “Echarle ganas, y poco a poco se dan las cosas. Vamos despacio,” meaning hard work will give results slowly but surely, and Real remains patient.
