WYOMING, Mich. — Staying connected to cultural heritage drives many people, and for Nancy Quero, that connection has fueled the continued growth of Guelaguetza Designs in Wyoming through Mexican pride.
"Wearing something makes you feel at home, so that is part of your heritage, that is part of who you are, and that really uplifts your spirit." Quero said.
Nancy started Guelaguetza Designs two decades ago after feeling disconnected from her roots.
"I was missing a connection through my culture. You know, I was missing something. So I found out that, like wearing the clothing that my mom made, like some accessories from Mexico, just made me feel like home," Quero said.
At Guelaguetza Designs, customers can find a little taste of Mexico right in their neighborhood.
"There is clothing for children, women, men," Quero said. "You can find accessories, like earrings, anything that you would like to give away as a gift. You can find home decor and things like for the Day of the Dead celebration."
Quero opened her first store in Wyoming in 2019. Growing business led to a bigger space and a move in August of this year.
The e-commerce side of the business has also blossomed.
"So that's how we decided, like, Okay, we need a plan for a bigger space where we can have everything centralized to be more efficient." Quero said.
Quero is using her growing store to bring pride to her community at a time of fear for many Hispanic people nationally.
"As a Latina, I think there is so much we can give to this beautiful country that we call home, and our differences, or the diversity, is what just makes us a great country," Quero said.
She's showcasing her culture now to set up the future better for the next generation.
"It's a responsibility that I feel to my children, to younger generations like we got to be able to show them to feel pride in where we are coming from, of our heritage, because that's what makes us very unique, and that uniqueness we can contribute so much to our community," Quero said.
Quero invites the community to save a plane ride and come over to Guelaguetza Designs to get a taste of Mexico right here in Wyoming.
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