TikTok Meets Tradition at Ana’s on Maple Avenue

Ana’s Restaurante is a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Dallas that is struggling to stay open due to immigration crackdowns and rising tariffs on Mexican goods. Adopting TikTok into their routine has brought more clients due to their viral posts. Photo taken on April 23, 2025 by Melanie Hernandez.

My Journalism

I love exploring and writing about how food, culture, and identity shape how communities interact. Through my reporting, I have witnessed how food and politics intersect because of immigration, inflation, and tariffs. My goal is to continue elevating the voices rarely heard in the media.

My recent experience has been freelancing for the Dallas Observer’s food and restaurant section, as well as touching on culture and political topics

Also, I host my own podcast titled Unstereotyped: Real Life, a show that highlights Latina women pursuing careers different from the stereotypes we see online. All filming, editing, post-production, social media, graphics, script writing, etc is done by me.