Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela and Alma Lara Perez.
Hi Pamela and Alma, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Masamor aims to join our love for food with the stories & culture of the people that create it. At the time, we were about to be in different places as my sister (Alma) was heading to college at the University of Texas at Austin and I (Pamela) was going to continue working in Seattle. We wanted to stay connected through a hobby, and this was a fun way to showcase our travels together and snapshots of our meals during our time apart. It was a way to simultaneously nourish our bodies and feed our souls.
Our name, Masamor, comes from the word “masa” in Spanish which means dough, and “amor”, which means love. Masa is the dough that was made by the hands our of ancestors, symbolizing the resilience that has stood in the face of colonization. It is the grain that remains strong and is key in many beautiful Mexican cuisines. Lastly, the play on the words as “mas amor” is “more love”, because as our mom always says, food always tastes better when made with love.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
With being in different locations, consistency within our posts has been a bit of a challenge, especially with being in different locations and balancing our work and studies. We are trying to work on it while also adding more diversity in the content that we deliver, including videos. We are excited to continue featuring local restaurants!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Alma: I recently graduated from UT Austin with a major in Marketing and a minor in Mexican-American studies. I will be starting a full-time role at Google as an Associate Account Strategist in Ann Arbor, Michigan in July. I interned with them this past summer with the BOLD Program and was excited to continue with the full-time role. My job consists of working with small businesses to help grow their Google Ads account presence online.
Pamela: I am a Product Safety Analyst at HALO Branded Solutions. I focus on the compliance and sustainability aspects of the supply chain. I graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a major in International Political Economy and a minor in Chinese (Mandarin), which is why I am especially passionate about diversity and sustainability in the food industry.
We believe what sets us apart is our intent to connect with our culture through food, while also being eager to learn about other cultures and stories as well.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
With our food account specifically, we’ve been fortunate to meet amazing people with each place that we visit as we learn about their culture, story, and passion for food. We truly believe that behind each meal, there is a story.
Luck is an interesting concept, so I’m going to respond to it as a question of privilege. We are lucky to have been raised in a bilingual household and to have traveled internationally from a very young age. We are lucky to have been introduced to new flavors, different cultures, and stories growing up, making us open-minded to diversity within the food & its people. When it comes to our Instagram page, we are lucky to be able to share recipes, highlight local businesses, and make meaningful connections with the people that share their stories with us.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @masaamor_
Image Credits
Alma Lara Pamela Lara
