Washington, D.C
A Venezuelan Bite in the Heart of Washington, D.C. | Caracas Chronicles
Historically, migrants around the world have gathered around a table. Whether to keep their traditions alive, celebrate big moments, or find comfort during hard times, food is deeply linked to cultural identity. It represents a people’s heritage, history, and values. Although those statements are not unique to Venezuelans, the Venezuelan arepa has found a permanent home in the capital of the United States, exemplifying the power of food to connect the diaspora.
Gabriela “Gaby” Febres lived in Miami since she was a kid after her mom, born and raised in Maracaibo, got an opportunity to move to the United States. When Febres graduated from high school, she left for Washington D.C. to study audio engineering at American University, one of the most prestigious universities in the area. Most of her friends were from other countries during this time, and she had no strong connection to Venezuela other than her family back in Florida. After finishing college, she planned to move to New York or California and search for a job. However, one night she attended a bar in Arlington, Virginia, close to D.C., to watch a soccer match. Venezuela played against Chile in the Copa América, and she went with her only Venezuelan friend.
It was 2011. That night she met Ali Arellano, a Venezuelan already established in the city, who had a side business selling Central American products to convenience stores catering to Latinos. They agreed to meet again to watch the next game, and Febres decided to partake, as she longed for this sense of community. Soon she discovered that Ali was not selling Venezuelan products yet, even when there was an untapped potential to cater to the diaspora she was a part of. They talked about working together. A week later, the pair started distributing queso guayanés, queso telita, queso de mano, and other typical Venezuelan dairy products to the markets Ali was already serving, but also to a group of Venezuelan people who were eager for a taste of home. Through word of mouth and social media, they established the beginning of a very loyal customer base that has followed them since.
What started as a friendship became in 2014 a partnership that spans four locations, a warehouse, and event catering services that have reached even the White House.
Fast forward over 10 years, they co-own Arepa Zone and Antojitos de Tu País, the most successful arepa business in the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) area. Their success as Febres says, is rooted in providing the Venezuelan community with a sense of belonging through meaningful food and the pair’s hard work.
As soon as they started delivering their products door to door, the business was built and sustained by the then-small Venezuelan diaspora’s needs: to find the foods, ingredients, and “antojitos” that brought them joy away from home. These products, available in specific areas of Florida such as Miami, were not found in the DMV stores, so Arellano and Febres quickly realized their business’ potential.
Eventually, people who bought these products began to request full meals that were representative of our culture, not only to eat them themselves but also to share them with other foreigners and locals in the DMV.
The expansion of Venezuelan food is deeply linked to our growing presence in the United States, which nearly tripled since 2010, according to the Migration Policy Institute, precisely when Arepa Zone saw its biggest growth. After successfully selling their antojitos via door-to-door services, the pair acquired a food truck in 2014 that served arepas, cachapas, and tequeños, among other products. Apart from the small Venezuelan diaspora, their first customers were mostly college students, consultants, and multilateral organization workers from diverse backgrounds.
Back then, Febres would spend up to two minutes explaining what an arepa was, what it was made of, and what made it so special. Eventually, she had to adapt their menu to make it more “internationally friendly” by installing a “McDonald’s style” system. Every menu item had a number to facilitate people’s ordering process and not make them pronounce every name.
However, they quickly pivoted and understood that education was directly related to their mission: to provide meaningful food and connection through Venezuelan food, for Venezuelans and non-Venezuelans alike. It was a success. To this day, Gaby’s biggest shock and pride comes when people from very diverse backgrounds go into the store, order a reina pepiada or a cachapa with their “broken Spanish”, and bring other people from different cultures who quickly become arepa lovers. Once, they might have had a Venezuelan friend who brought them to the restaurant, but now they’re spreading the word of the arepa on their own.
Despite serving a diverse audience, Arepa Zone keeps expanding options for Venezuelans and being the default meeting point for celebrations and occasions within the Venezuelan community, such as Copa América and gatherings during the Venezuelan elections. When asked if her food has suffered any modifications due to the large international influence and their location, Gaby defaults to saying that they keep getting closer and closer to their roots by offering even more specific products, such as pan de jamón, mandocas, and pepitos. However, their customer base and the menu item’s biggest fans are not exclusively Venezuelan.
Since a few months ago, they have seen an uptick in the number of Venezuelans that line up outside their restaurants and now work as food delivery drivers after coming to the US under diverse circumstances. They also come in as patrons and enjoy the food as well.
As the Arepa Zone story began with a Copa América match, the Cup is just one of the many excuses patrons use to visit one of their four locations or the warehouse to enjoy a bite that makes them feel closer to home. Whether to celebrate a goal from La Vinotinto or mourn yet another electoral loss, now the arepa is also part of those moments as Venezuelans find and shape our identity in Washington D.C.
The United States woke on Wednesday morning to the news that Donald Trump had won a second term, becoming the nation’s 47th president.
As the day after the 2024 election continued, residents across the DMV adjusted to a historic victory and what a return to a Trump White House could mean over the next four years.
In Washington, D.C., where more than 90% of voters chose Harris, the news was met with disappointment and anxiety.
“We are in trouble. We’re just in trouble,” one woman said in downtown D.C. Wednesday morning after election night and President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.
Businesses around downtown D.C. had boarded up windows before Election Day began, preparing for the possibility of violence. But after heightened security and fears in the city where, four years ago, rioters descended on the nation’s capitol to protest election results, D.C. police told News4 they made no arrests overnight.
Another voter said, “We’ve lived through him before. I think we will survive through this one, but I’m very disappointed.”
The prospect of a second Trump presidency was met with excitement at events across the U.S., including outside Trump Tower in New York City on election night.
All parts of the DMV — D.C., Maryland and Virginia — were called for Vice President Kamala Harris. In D.C. and Maryland, the win was decisive, but the margin in Virginia was much more narrow.
Virginia Gov. Glen Youngkin congratulated President-Elect Donald Trump and Vice President-Elect JD Vance on their victory in a message posted on social media platform X early Wednesday morning.
On the state level, Virginia re-elected Sen. Tim Kaine, who defeated challenger Hung Cao. Democrats also secured victories in Virginia’s 10th and 8th Congressional Districts.
The Associated Press has called Virginia’s 7th Congressional District for Democrat Eugene Vindman, in a highly contested race that decides who will replace Rep. Abigail Spanberger when she runs for governor in 2025. NBC News has not yet called the race.
In Maryland, the race for District 6 is also too close to call, though Democrat April McClain Delaney has a razor-thin lead over Republican candidate Neil Parrott. It’s a critical seat for the balance of power in the U.S. House.
But while some of the results of the election continue to trickle in, the biggest race was decided earlier than anyone anticipated.
President Biden spoke to both candidates in the wake of the presidential race being called. He congratulated Harris on her historic campaign and congratulated Trump on his victory. Biden “emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together,” and said he was committed to ensuring a smooth transition, according to the White House.
On Wednesday afternoon, Harris called now President-elect Trump to congratulate him on winning the 2024 presidential election, according to a senior Harris aide.
Harris also discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans, the aide said.
At 4 p.m., Harris emerged on the stage on the Howard University campus, polished and dignified, and publicly conceded the race to Trump.
She emphasized that accepting a loss is an integral part of democracy, while emphasizing that her supporters “must accept the results of this election.”
“The light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting,” she said, adding, “This is not a time to throw up our hands; it’s a time to roll up our sleeves.”
But though the election is over, Harris said, the fight is not.
“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,” she said.
She shared a message for young voters, many of them college students in the audience right in front of her. Shots of the crowd showed Howard students shedding tears as she spoke.
“On the campaign, I would often say, ‘When we fight, we win,’” Harris told the crowd, many of them in tears. “But here’s the thing: Sometime the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. That doesn’t mean we won’t win. The important thing is don’t ever give up, don’t ever give up, don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place.”
“And don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before,” she added.
Kamala Harris conceded to Donald Trump in a speech at Howard University and said she will help Trump enact a peaceful transfer of power.
In the days and weeks leading up to Inauguration Day, the District will prepare for the historic ceremony and the second term of a man who has previously threatened a federal takeover of D.C.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement that she will support the transition process and continue to advance the priorities of the District.
In a post on X, Bowser said: “As the nation’s capital, we are proud to fulfill our role in the peaceful transition of power. We will actively support the incoming Trump Administration’s transition process and the 60th Presidential Inauguration of President-elect Trump. As your mayor, I have worked with three presidents, including President-elect Trump, and congressional leaders of both parties to advance the priorities of the District — infrastructure, housing affordability, downtown revitalization and our self-determination. And driven by our values, we will pursue a collaborative approach to our federal priorities in the District.”
While on the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump threatened a federal takeover of Washington, D.C. News4’s Mark Segraves explains what could happen once he’s back in office.
Her statement concluded: “We thank the DC Board of Elections and election officials across the country for conducting a free and fair election. And we congratulate DC councilmembers and commissioners, members of Congress and President-elect Trump on their victories.”
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson says he supports the democratic process and a peaceful transition of power, “even when we are unhappy with the results,” he wrote in a brief statement this afternoon.
“And despite our internal disagreements over how things could be better, we, the District of Columbia, have a very good city, financially sound, and well run. We will remain focused on our strengths, protect our autonomy, and make sure no one tries to take that away from us,” his statement concluded.
Thousands gathered on Howard University’s campus for Vice President Kamala Harris’ election night watch party on Tuesday.
The celebratory mood dimmed as results came in showing now President-Elect Donald Trump winning key battleground states.
Eventually, the crowd dwindled after Harris’ campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond thanked the crowd and informed them that Harris would address her supporters on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Here’s a look at supporters’ reactions as results poured in late Tuesday night and the aftermath of the watch party on Howard’s campus.
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Washington, D.C
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