Crossing the border between Columbus, New Mexico and Palomas, Mexico, you see a large store painted pink called The Pink Store. It is, to me, the symbol of this small, poor town, a symbol of wellbeing or, sometimes, trouble.
Founded 25 years ago by Ivonne and Sergio Romero, a very special couple, it has a wonderful restaurant and a marvelous selection of ceramics, silver, jewelry and folk art from all over Mexico. When it is full of customers, you know that things are going well in Palomas. When there are no customers, it’s a signal of problems in the town.
It provides employment for many people – the artisans from 15 different states around Mexico, the waiters, cooks and sales staff, Marcelina, the Tarahumara woman who is always by the front door, Guadalupe who washes the cars of visitors and his father who shines shoes.
In this town of about 5,000 people, these jobs are critical.
On the north side of the store is a plaza with a statue of two generals – John “Black Jack” Pershing and Francisco “Pancho” Villa – a statue that was commissioned by the Romeros. It was Villa, one of the leading Generals in the Mexican Revolution who had conducted a raid on Columbus on March 9, 1916 and Pershing who pursued him without luck for nine months and was subsequently put in command of the American Expeditionary Force in World War 1. Around the plaza are shops and offices including a pharmacy and an eye doctor and the American Dental Clinic where I had my teeth cleaned on February 8 by a very impressive, University of Juárez-trained dentist named Jannet Valenzuela. The waiting room was full of fellow Americans, many of which were combining the fine food and shopping at The Pink Store with medical matters that are much cheaper than in the United States.
When I first visited some six years ago, The Pink Store was full of customers. But beginning in 2009, violence in Palomas surged. Estanislao “Tani” Garcia, the very popular Mayor was murdered in October, 2009 and a month later Dr. Fierro from the Fierro Dental Clinic was kidnapped and never seen again. Someone left three heads in front of the Catholic Church and in December 2010, twenty bodies were found buried in a “narco foso” or mass grave. Heavily armed soldiers patrolled the dusty streets and many residents fled, leaving dozens of abandoned homes and stores. The Mayor who succeeded Tani was kidnapped briefly and threatened. When the kidnappers released her, they said that if she had been a man, they would have killed her.
In those years, The Pink Store was always empty. I wondered how the Romeros could afford to keep it open. But this January, I spoke with Ivonne and she described her commitment to Palomas and her determination to keep the store open and maintain the jobs of all the people who depended on it. Her family has a long history in Palomas; her grandparents had a similar store for 54 years.
Although Palomas is her community, she was born in Deming thirty five miles to the north and, therefore, is an American citizen. When her four children were ready for school, the family moved to El Paso because the schools in Texas are much better, even though this required that she and Sergio commute 150 miles a day back and forth from El Paso. Once their children finish school, they will return to Palomas to live.
Now the store is full. Groups come from El Paso, Deming, Silver City or even as far away as Canada to eat, shop and visit the doctors. Some are long-time friends of hers and Sergio’s. Some are supporting various humanitarian programs in Palomas like La Casa de Amor Para Niños, an orphanage. In addition, The Pink Store is offering tours to the south. One is a two day trip to see potters in the village of Mata Ortiz and tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Paquimé; another is a seven day tour to the Copper Canyon. (They also have a very well done “video tour” on their website, www.thepinkstore.com.) Bringing tourists across to Palomas is critical to the local economy and they are the leaders.
Ivonne and Sergio have now opened a small store in Silver City with a warehouse for shipping purposes because they plan to begin selling their art via the internet.
The Romeros’ story is one of persistence and determination, of how a single family can help reshape the future of their town. Thanks to them, Palomas is making a comeback. Drive down and take a look.
February 13, 2014