KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Thursday marked Independence Day for around half-a-dozen Latin American countries and kicked off the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. The Hispanic and Latino communities in Knoxville have grown over the last few years and many businesses have popped up across the area, sharing their culture and heritage.
Julian Morales has been in business for the last four years and said, for him, it's all about offering homemade products.
"This is no easy path. But we try to make [it] special for the people in here," Morales said.
But it's not only about making a product special. Some locals say they like going to Hispanic or Latino-owned local businesses because of their hospitality.
"It's how they treat you when you walk in," Victor Espana said. "It's like walking into someone's house. It's the heart, you know, the welcoming. They're happy to see you. They know you by your name."
Espana and his girlfriend Emily Lowe grabbed some lunch on Thursday from Tonitas Sazon, a little place that is famous for making homemade food. They said it's their favorite thing to do — grab lunch and then go across the street for ice cream at La Michoacana Knoxville.
"It feels more homey," Lowe said. "More like you're supporting someone in the community. It feels like smaller, it just feels good to support local businesses."
The Latino Chambers of Commerce says the number of Hispanic and Latino businesses is growing because Tennessee saw the largest Hispanic and Latino population growth since 2010.
Carlos Alavena-Vitelli, the president and CEO of the Latino Chambers of Commerce, said keeping heritage alive is important. Alavena-Vitelli is also the business owner of Carlos Insurance. He said about a dozen Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses will open in Knoxville soon.
"It's growing, the community is. So, we still have our spice of the music and being ourselves because our heritage always going to be with us," he said. "But we become American. We come with love for this land, love for this country, love for this town."