The Story of Panka Peruvian Restaurant

Presenters: Mariela Maya, owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant

Date: June 3, 2022

Time: 12 – 1pm

Location: Online

Register: Online

Come and listen to the stories of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community members making their mark in Iowa. As you create your own story, treat yourself to this time each month to rekindle your entrepreneurial spirit and connect with others.

Join us as we listen to the story of Mariela Maya, owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant 

About Our Speakers…
Mariela Maya

My name is Mariela Maya, I am the owner of Panka Peruvian Restaurant. I have three kids and three sisters, and I just recently moved to Des Moines in 2019. I feel that in today’s society it is important to share a story, one that provides a look into a person’s life and one that will result in the understanding of individual differences.

I am an immigrant. I was born in Lima, Peru in 1976 and moved to the United States in 2001 in order to achieve what many of you know as the “American Dream.” In times of economic difficulty, I looked for an opportunity of stability that I thought I would immediately find in the United States. However, that dream is romanticized, and it is not all that easy to achieve. Having grown up in a different country surrounded by a unique culture, it is difficult to suddenly immerse yourself in a community that is so unlike the one I had growing up. With the language barrier and mannerisms that are different from those in Peru, it was difficult to establish myself with confidence. I took English classes in order to feel more secure and be able to do everyday things without the fear of being unable to communicate with others around me. Of course, it is a difficult and rather unnerving thing to learn a language and then speak it with confidence because you know there will be at least one person who will point out a flaw in your speech or an accent when you speak. However, you must learn to overcome and build upon yourself. I am not the only one who has a story like this. Immigrants all over this country had to break through their insecurities and immerse themselves in a new culture in order to build their life. I see this period of my life, this transition, as one that gave me the strength and knowledge to keep pushing forward.

Register here!