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The Way I Am

Produced by Desiree Cousineau
Translation by Denise Dosta

At 87 years old, Josefina Rosales Centeno has seen many things change around her. But for Josefina there is one constant. A woman’s first and most important role is in the kitchen. After decades of working every day, Josefina has become a self-made businesswoman, yet she still doesn’t see her role in the community extending past her kitchen walls.

Candy work

Photography by
Yecenia Méndez

Josefina spends most of her day in the kitchen hunched over her wood-fire stove. She must constantly stir the milk candies as she is making them or they will burn.

She lives and works in the home that once belonged to her parents. She was born and grew up here. This is where she gave birth to and raised her only son, Hector. Hung on the wall are all tools she uses to cook daily.

One of Jose’s most popular items is milk candy served in a candied orange peel.

Neighbors, friends and tourists who buy her candies and food visit Dona Jose daily. Her home has becomes a prominent gathering point for the community.

Her sister, Margarita (pictured) and her niece, Maria, help Dona Jose run her business and provide her with company while she is working.

After a hard day of work, Dona Jose feels tired but is satisfied with the work she has done. Even though she has trouble walking, Jose stands on her feet in the kitchen for hours every day.

Jose is a religious woman who thanks God everyday for another day of her life. She watches Catholic mass on television every day at noon.

Although it seems like Dona Jose’s days are all the same and she follows the same routine, she tries to make each day special.

Click on the photo to see the slideshow.

Dona Josefina Rosales is a businesswoman who has worked all her life. At 87-years-old she prepares milk candies, which she sells to make a living. “I never thought of doing anything else,” she says with a lost look on her face. Now, she lives in house that has seen her birth and grow old. While the world has changed around her, her candy making and her beliefs about the role of women have remained the same.