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ORAL HISTORY

Lamec Rosas

Born in Waco, Texas, and raised alongside his four brothers, Rosas was first introduced to restaurant work in the eighth grade, when a teacher offered to employ him and his classmates at her husband’s restaurant in exchange for field trip tuition. He went on to work at the same restaurant, Papa Rollo’s Pizza, through high school, part of college, and well into his late twenties. While he enjoyed certain aspects of the work—the camaraderie and ready cash—he  keenly felt the instability of relying on tips to make a living wage, the danger of working a physically demanding job without health insurance, and the wage inequity that arises from  serving a predominantly white clientele.  

Rosas has a passion for theater, photography, and the arts. When he was wrongfully terminated from Papa Rollo’s Pizza, he began developing his photographic skills and exploring employment opportunities outside of restaurants. Within a year of leaving the service industry, Rosas landed a job at Sendero Provisions Company as brand photographer, where he recently produced the photography for Sendero’s fall clothing line. When he isn’t working, he travels throughout the United States and internationally as much as possible.