Tamales and Economic Liberty with Rep. Alma Hernandez and Rep. Travis Grantham

A record 1.2 million minority-owned businesses are operating in the U.S. Succeeding as an entrepreneur is tough, 20% fail in the first year, but minorities have an even steeper hill to climb. Income inequality, limited access to loans, and other biases leads to a lack of capital needed to start businesses and survive the early years in the red. A recent study shows that Arizona is the No. 32 best state for minority entrepreneurs to succeed with minorities owning 15.6% of all Arizona businesses and 18.2% of startups under two years old.

The holiday season is filled with food traditions and the Mexican tamale is a regional favorite in Arizona. Rich in tradition, tamales evoke family, ritual and cherished memories in most Hispanic cultures. While eaten year-round, tamales are truly celebrated during the holiday season when families come together to make huge batches of them to share or exchange. This part of Mexican culture has also turned some migrant families into entrepreneurs.

In 2023, the Arizona State Legislature passed HB2509 with bipartisan support. The bill, dubbed the "tamale bill", would have relaxed the rules around food products Arizonans can make in their own kitchens to sell. The bill was ultimately vetoed by Governor Hobbs in April.

While the tamale bill was just one way to remove barriers for entrepreneurs in Arizona, Elvia Díaz — Editorial Page Editor at the Arizona Republic — will sit down with Rep. Alma Hernandez and Speaker Pro Tempore Travis Grantham to discuss how we can create avenues to opportunity for the Arizona Hispanic community and improve the climate for minority entrepreneurship in Arizona.

About the Speakers

Alma Hernandez was born and raised on the south side of Tucson. She is the youngest legislator in Arizona at 25 and serves on the Health and Human Services and Federal Relations committees. She is a proud product of Sunnyside School District’s Public Schools, Alma earned a Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Public Health at the University of Arizona. She has further Public Health training from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Travis Grantham was born and raised in Scottsdale, AZ. A third generation Arizonan, Travis has always had a strong sense of service to his state and country. Travis attended Arizona State University and it was during this time that he enlisted in the United States Air Force / Arizona Air National Guard’s 161st Air Refueling Wing which was founded by Barry Goldwater in 1946. Growing up, Travis learned the value of a hard day's work whether on his family's cattle ranch or helping out wherever he could in his father's aviation business.