What started with a handful of Ecuadorian families from the southern city of Cuenca in the late 1990s has grown into one of the Twin Cities’ largest immigrant communities.
Central Avenue’s Ecuadorian-owned-and-run restaurants and bakeries are thriving, but many recent arrivals lack work permits and access to stable means of income.
Like other more commonly known ethnic enclaves such as Little Italy in New York or Little Ethiopia in Los Angeles, Little Ecuador in Northeast Minneapolis became a hotspot because of the first few families who moved here from Cuenca in the late 90s.
Sabor Cuencano, at 2552 Central Ave. NE, is one of the many Ecuadorian-owned businesses in Northeast Minneapolis. (Clara Ann Bagnoli)
Little Cuenca to Little Ecuador
Rodrigo Morocho, who manages Sabor Cuencano, 2552 Central Ave. NE, moved to Minnesota from New York after living with his father who had immigrated to the United States from Cuenca.
“I don’t think (that) it’s Little Cuenca now, because it’s a lot of people that’s mixed. Now is from Ecuador from the Coast and Sierra and Oriente,” Morocho said.
La Costa (The coast), La Sierra (The Highlands) and El Oriente (The Amazon) are the three regions of mainland Ecuador. Many Ecuadorians immigrated because of the economic damage inflicted by El Niño storms on traditional agriculture and artisan manufacturing in the country’s southern region.
In 2005, the Ecuadorian Consulate opened on 2310 Central Ave. NE, drawing immigrants to the area. After the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden’s Family Reunification Parole Process allowed qualifying beneficiaries to join family members with lawful residence in the United States while waiting for visas.
“It’s a lot of Ecuadorian business, that’s why they come. We have some insurance and a lot of things for business here, groceries, restaurants, and other stuff where they can get products from Ecuador to cook,” Morocho said. “Minneapolis is a nice, beautiful place to be with a family. It’s not too expensive. I love that.”
Displaced by violence
Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina (COPAL) is a member-based organization established in 2018 to, according to their website, “improve the quality of life of Latine families,” the majority of which are Ecuadorians. Claudia Lainez directs the Workers Center and has spoken to hundreds of Ecuadorians, mostly families, who have come to Minnesota fleeing violence.
“A lot of them previously immigrated to the capital, like Quito or some other big cities, and they felt like there was no place for them there, so they decided to make that trip up north, and then they end up here. But mostly, all of them was due to violence,” Lainez said.
Lainez recounted a specific story that many families share of being threatened by gangs. “There was a guy that had a taxi, and he said that a couple times they tried to kidnap him, and his family was in danger. So he opted to leave, just to be able to save his family’s life,” she said.
Ecuador is not among the countries designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar has introduced legislation that would designate Ecuador for TPS. COPAL supports the proposal.
Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, 1301 2nd St. NE. (Clara Ann Bagnoli)
Barriers to working in the U.S.
Once immigrants arrive in the United States,
COPAL works to mitigate barriers they face in joining the workforce. Some barriers are cultural. Applying for jobs online instead of in person and adapting to hourly wages rather than daily pay are small but cumulative challenges that can impede integration.
Because affordable childcare is difficult to find, most women struggle to find work. “When people were coming in looking for a job, out of 10 men, probably nine of them will be able to get a job, and out of 10 women, maybe one of them will be able to get a job,” Lainez said.
As many did in Ecuador, women sell fruit and snacks on street corners and in parks to earn income while caring for their children.
“There is no other option. They have a rent to pay, and there are not a lot of options for childcare or jobs,” Lainez said.
Making Minneapolis home
Apart from the many businesses that serve as meeting points for Ecuadorians to share a meal, the community also comes together by playing sports and attending church.
Ss. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church, 1315 2nd St. NE, was established by Slovak Catholics in 1917. Since the late ’90s, the parish has been predominantly Hispanic. It boasts a large Ecuadorian congregation, according to the Office of Latino Ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.