American Dream fading for Latino business owners
Customers who lost jobs in the sinking economy or fear being deported are spending less or leaving.
By Franco Ordoñez
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Friday, May. 08, 2009
Slideshow

Celestino Hernandez owned four groceries across Charlotte, but in the last two months, he has had to close three. And sales at his one remaining store are down more than 50 percent.

At this time last year, he owned four groceries and three bakeries. For many Latinos, he was a symbol of the American dream.

No longer. Hernandez and other Latino business owners face uncertain futures as their customers flee a slumping economy and the threat of deportation.

In the past four months, Hernandez closed his three bakeries and all but one of his Carniceria La Mexicana groceries, including the South Boulevard store.

“We lasted 13 years, three months and 15 days in that store,â€