Oaxaca on Broadway: Spaceship Corazón
Mr. Robles at his storefront in Seaside
Talkin’ Oaxacan: The Cultural Evolution of Seaside
Casa a Mi Dinero and Corazón de Oaxaca are the two names of the businesses that operate out of a building that looks like a parked spaceship halfway up Broadway Avenue in Seaside. As you drive up to the building, you can see the satellite dishes lining the roof, linking up with the stars, like a Millennium Falcon docked in between missions. Inside, you can use money transfer services or buy authentic Oaxacan goods directly shipped each week.
Here is where Zach Weston and Jake Thomas first learned about the deep Oaxacan roots on Broadway Avenue in Seaside. This place of business is a vital conduit of Oaxacan culture in Seaside. Dinero a Mi Casa and Corazón de Oaxaca are a hub of culture and commerce, connecting a city and region in Mexico to Seaside in California.
Indigenous Ingenuity: Curating Corazón
Pablo Robles has been in Seaside since the 1980s. He is a long-time entrepreneur, and he has a passion for Oaxacan traditions and people. Part of his mission is to sustain the Oaxacan way of life and offer a feeling of home for Oaxacans in Seaside.
Mr. Robles uses his charisma and way with words to create meaningful connections within the community. Speaking with Robles, his love for Oaxacan culture is evident. He puts the community first, which shows in the establishment of his online radio station that offers tips to the community on successfully living in the United States.
La Radio Robles: Broadcasting from Broadway
Corazón de Oaxaca is a cross-cultural place of connection. Robles has fortified their role through an online broadcasting station that offers tips about the US to the Latino community. In addition, he is building his business by combining a love for the culture and a desire to create a platform for sharing the Oaxacan community's stories.
He is a man who wears many hats. He is a business owner, broadcaster, cultural sustainer, and well put together businessman. He is a good neighbor behind the scenes on Broadway Avenue. He makes his neighbors happy to be a part of the neighborhood.
*Shipments come in on Fridays. They have a wide variety of traditional Oaxacan goods such as spices, grasshoppers, tortillas, etc.