Local Business Owner Karla Ruiz to Join Oye Vecino LIVE Panel
By Emily Konouchi | 2021 Board Member
Karla Ruiz is the owner and operator of Karla’s Catering in Nashville, TN. A native of Mexico City, she worked in Nashville restaurant kitchens for 12 years before opening her own business. We feel honored to have Karla join the panel at our Fall fundraiser Oye Vecino LIVE because she’s been so open about her personal journey as an undocumented immigrant, and her struggles and achievements help to humanize the experience of so many Tennesseans grappling with the challenges of our immigration system.
Karla immigrated to the U.S. in 1999 with her then young son Carlos. Carlos’s story of being an undocumented student in Nashville was captured in this short film produced by Conexión Americas in 2017.
A snapshot of Karla Ruiz and her son Carlos that appears in this video by Conexión Americas
The film focuses on Carlos’s journey from struggling high school student to DACA recipient to professional educator who has his pick of graduate school programs - including Harvard University. Karla worked around the clock to support her son, sacrificing so much, so it’s especially poignant to see them, along with Karla’s daughter Sophie, experience the moment Carlos received the email acceptance letter from Harvard.
Despite joyful moments like these, the struggle for longterm safety and security continues for this family, who in a relatively short time has established deep roots in our Nashville community. We look forward to hearing more from Karla at our Oye Vecino LIVE panel on September 23.