What's at stake:
Many Fresno tamale vendors say they’re working to keep a beloved tradition alive during the holiday season, even as sales drop amid fears of immigration enforcement.
Fabiola Félix still remembers the Christmases of her childhood in Culiacán, Mexico — the smell of simmering masa, pots steaming on the stove, and family crowded in the kitchen, laughing and working together.
“That’s the beauty of tamales,” Félix said. “They take a long time to make, so you do it together. It’s something very special.”
Félix, who relocated to Fresno with her husband and five children to build a new life in the U.S., is now sharing that tradition with the central San Joaquin Valley through her catering business, Delicias Culiacán. The business, which is just about a year and a half old, specializes in tamales reflecting her Sinaloan roots and the style she carefully crafted over time.
For many tamale vendors, demand peaks during the holidays as tamales remain a deeply rooted Christmas tradition for families in Fresno.
Despite this, some vendors say sales are down this year as immigration enforcement intensifies and racial profiling fuels fear among families who rely on tamale sales.
Though making and selling tamales involves long, tiring hours, vendors say the tradition matters — it’s how families continue to celebrate and preserve their cultural roots.
“I think a little of the tradition has been lost,” Félix said. “People still want to eat tamales, of course they do, but they don’t always have the time to make them. They work a lot here.”
Bringing people together, one tamale at a time
Although Félix grew up helping families prepare tamales for celebrations, she didn’t begin developing her own recipes until she was around 25.
Félix still makes most tamales herself, sometimes with the help of her daughter. For large orders, events of 50 people or more, she’ll bring in extra hands to keep up with demand.
In Mexico, she says, the culture of family cooking remains stronger. Here in the U.S., traditions look different and businesses like hers step in to fill the gap.
But for Félix, making tamales isn’t just about feeding people. It’s a way to keep her family’s heritage alive in a new place and help others do the same.
“Tamales bring us together,” Félix said. “They remind us where we come from. Even if we’re far from home, we can hold on to those traditions.”
As Delicias Culiacán continues its journey, Félix hopes her food will connect more Fresno families to the flavors and meaning wrapped inside each carefully folded husk.
Maria de León, through her tamale business Tamales Mary, learned to make tamales from her mother-in-law after losing her babysitting job during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was married at 14 and grew up around families who sold tamales, pozole, enchiladas and gorditas. When the pandemic hit, she turned to those roots, launching a tamale business that has now sustained her family for five years.
She describes the work as labor-intensive, from buying pork or chicken at the market to preparing masa and salsas by hand, but for years she reliably sold out the 140 tamales she made each day from Tuesday through Friday. This year has been slower.
“I think it’s because there’s not much work right now and people don’t want to spend much money because of what’s happening in our country,” de León said.
Still, she sells wherever she can, whether at events, on street corners, or to neighbors, offering cheese and pork with red salsa, chicken with green salsa, mole and rajas.
De León said many vendors she knows are also struggling. But keeping these food traditions alive matters to her, especially during the holiday season.
“All of these traditions have been lost,” she said. “Before, families would reunite to make tamales, pozole, bacalao, buñuelos, champurrado, ponche. For me, it’s a reminder of where we came from, and not letting these traditions die.”
Her grandchildren already ask to learn, and she encourages them and the rest of her family to keep the art alive.
“It’s important to carry these traditions in Fresno because it’s beautiful to not just share delicious food, but to spend time with loved ones and learn the art,” de León said.
How fear of immigration enforcement has led to fewer sales
Maria Buendía, owner of Cosinyta “Mary” Catering, used to sell outside a local Home Depot, but stepped back as immigration enforcement increased and fear grew among street vendors.
Now, she relies mostly on festivals and community events such as Fiesta Patrias to keep her business going. She was even invited to Clovis to teach classes on tamale-making. Still, selling in general comes with uncertainty.
“We go out with fear, and we don’t know how secure we can be,” Buendía said. “Our sales have gone down.”
Buendía has been in Fresno for four years, continuing the small food business she first built in Sacramento. Her husband helps prep ingredients while she cooks, turning out pork in salsa verde with nopales, tamales de rajas with cheese, mole, beans, vegetarian options, and sweet tamales.
“Our situation is very difficult — money coming in is hard,” said Buendía, who is 65 and says traditional employment isn’t an option for her anymore. “It was easier for me to build my own business.”
Buendía learned everything she knows from her mother, how to prepare masa, salsas and fillings, and she feels a responsibility to pass those skills on.
“It’s important not to forget our traditions and our roots,” Buendía said. “We need to know these traditions to pass them on to our kids.”
Where to find these Fresno tamale vendors
Fabiola Félix of Delicias Culiacán: You can find her at community events through organizations she collaborates with such as Cultiva La Salud and the Central Valley Community Foundation.
Maria de León of Tamales Mary: You can reach her through her number: 559-255-1463
Maria Buendía of Cosinyta “Mary” Catering: You can reach her through her number: 916- 601-9986
