My name is Ramon Morales Everyone knows me as “Johnny Chimi”
I enrolled in school at the age of six. Like in any school, the teachers would take daily attendance of all the students. About three months passed when the school sent for my mother. When she went to the school, they asked her "where is “Ramón Morales?" Ramón Morales!
As it turns out that when I was young, my mother called me “Johnny,” and I didn't know any other name but Johnny. And, when my mother came home from school she said to me, “Your name is Ramon Morales.” It was only then, when I was six years old, that I realized that my real name is Ramon Morales.
To this day, “Johnny,” is my nickname. Many Dominicans have a nickname, and mine is Johnny. I’ll tell you more about my name later, but first, I’d like to share my personal story about how I ended up in Providence.
As it turns out that when I was young, my mother called me “Johnny,” and I didn't know any other name but Johnny. And, when my mother came home from school she said to me, “Your name is Ramon Morales.” It was only then, when I was six years old, that I realized that my real name is Ramon Morales.
To this day, “Johnny,” is my nickname. Many Dominicans have a nickname, and mine is Johnny. I’ll tell you more about my name later, but first, I’d like to share my personal story about how I ended up in Providence.
Divine Providence
In 1988, I arrived in New York City, where I stayed for a while. I went to live there with my godmother, Margarita, and from there I moved to Brooklyn. Once my sister arrived from the Dominican Republic, I came to Providence and this is where our life began to take another path. I feel it was Divine Providence that brought us here.
When we got here, I was living with my older sister. She worked in a bodega and I worked two jobs. Soon, I felt a desire to better myself began, so I studied and got my GED and then enrolled at Rhode Island College. But I had to leave college because the mother of my children got pregnant, so I had to start working harder. I left college and began working in construction.
One day, my sister who was always so creative and eager to try new things, came up with the idea to go to parks with a small cooler, with pastelitos and beer, and we would sell them there.
When we got here, I was living with my older sister. She worked in a bodega and I worked two jobs. Soon, I felt a desire to better myself began, so I studied and got my GED and then enrolled at Rhode Island College. But I had to leave college because the mother of my children got pregnant, so I had to start working harder. I left college and began working in construction.
One day, my sister who was always so creative and eager to try new things, came up with the idea to go to parks with a small cooler, with pastelitos and beer, and we would sell them there.
The First Food Truck
All this started in '91, in 1991. We began with the little refrigerator, a cooler and we started selling beer and food, snacks. Soon we reached the point where it was a lot, too much for us. We were carrying all the food, setting it up, taking it down and it was too much for us. Then, one day, my sister Dinorah said to me, 'We have to get a truck, we should operate our business out of a truck.' And then without waiting for me to answer, she asked me what we should call it. I said, well sister, we can call it La Casa del Chimi because people are going to interpret it as something between chimi … chime … and chisme … gossip! [laughs]. We also felt we wanted to serve chimis, a popular sandwich in the Dominican Republic, because no one was serving them here in Providence. [NOTE: To learn more about the chimi sandwich and where to find them in Providence, visit this link at Rhode Island Latino Arts]
Alberto, my brother in law, put together the food truck. I thought it was a really good one! We parked the truck at [Roger Williams] park on Saturdays and Sundays, and business was great. That’s where we got our start, at the park, where we opened the first Chimi Truck in Rhode Island.
From there, we thought about moving the truck somewhere else because I saw that there were no [food] trucks outside of the park. My sister suggested that we set up the truck on Westminster Street, but I felt it was not a good location because Westminster had nothing but clubs. I thought we should go to La Broa' (Broad Street) where people went to shop or hang out. But she felt there were too many dishonest people on Broad Street, and did not think we should go there. And so I said, "okay," and we took our truck to Westminster Street.
After a little while, I decided to go out on my own and to create my own business on Broad Street — this is where I got started, on La Broa'. It was in 1993 when I got my vendor’s license. At that time, I was out there alone, there were no other trucks like ours. My brother-in-law also opened Pinchos La Rueda around the same time, and we were out there on La Broa' together (although I think I started a month before him). And he too has been plugging along since then.
When I first opened, I felt the strong support of the people in the neighborhood, who came over right away to buy our food. My first location on Broad Street was in front of Pito's restaurant. We never had any problems there and were always very well received.
Alberto, my brother in law, put together the food truck. I thought it was a really good one! We parked the truck at [Roger Williams] park on Saturdays and Sundays, and business was great. That’s where we got our start, at the park, where we opened the first Chimi Truck in Rhode Island.
From there, we thought about moving the truck somewhere else because I saw that there were no [food] trucks outside of the park. My sister suggested that we set up the truck on Westminster Street, but I felt it was not a good location because Westminster had nothing but clubs. I thought we should go to La Broa' (Broad Street) where people went to shop or hang out. But she felt there were too many dishonest people on Broad Street, and did not think we should go there. And so I said, "okay," and we took our truck to Westminster Street.
After a little while, I decided to go out on my own and to create my own business on Broad Street — this is where I got started, on La Broa'. It was in 1993 when I got my vendor’s license. At that time, I was out there alone, there were no other trucks like ours. My brother-in-law also opened Pinchos La Rueda around the same time, and we were out there on La Broa' together (although I think I started a month before him). And he too has been plugging along since then.
When I first opened, I felt the strong support of the people in the neighborhood, who came over right away to buy our food. My first location on Broad Street was in front of Pito's restaurant. We never had any problems there and were always very well received.
The Name That Branded Me Forever
In the 1990s, there was a place called La Fragancia, it was a club. Before closing for the night, I would go in there, especially in the Winter, when business was kind of slow. I would leave my Chimi business and go into the club, and when I arrived, because of the smell on my clothes that emanated from the food that I cooked, people would say "Johnny Chimi has arrived!" [laughs]. So from there when I went in, people would say, "oh, welcome Johnny Chimi!" I was known then as just Johnny, and it was the smell of the Chimis that began to identify me. And that's where the name "Johnny Chimi" came from. Those were some good times!
And since then, we have moved around to different locations, experiencing both the ups and downs. We have been able to grow and feel the love of the people towards us. We've seen so many young people come and go, many have gone on to graduate from college. We've witnessed so many things, so many changes in South Providence.
Here we are, on La Broa’, where we’ve been now for over 29 years, since that first day in 1991. I'm grateful for all the people who keep coming back to support us and to the other 12+ Chimi Trucks who work closely with us to bring our native foods to all the people of La Broa'.
And since then, we have moved around to different locations, experiencing both the ups and downs. We have been able to grow and feel the love of the people towards us. We've seen so many young people come and go, many have gone on to graduate from college. We've witnessed so many things, so many changes in South Providence.
Here we are, on La Broa’, where we’ve been now for over 29 years, since that first day in 1991. I'm grateful for all the people who keep coming back to support us and to the other 12+ Chimi Trucks who work closely with us to bring our native foods to all the people of La Broa'.
Interview by Marta V. Martínez, 2023
Video by Alberto Genao
The best thing that I did, my most proudest moment, is when a group of us founded the Coalition of Hispanic Organizations (Coalición) because that was the agency that gave respect to the community. That was the agency that put the name Hispanic high in the eyes of elected officials a policy makers.
You see, when you think about who are and what is a "Hispanic," you think about it only as a word, or maybe you think of a particular neighborhood. You’re not thinking about the people who may not live in that particular neighborhood, those who have established themselves outside of the south side of Providence. But, I tell you, those who do live [in that neighborhood] are people who have worked hard to be there: they run their house, they live there. The early years [the 1970s] were a period where the majority — mainly those who are not Hispanic — thought that these [Hispanics] were only people who were into drugs, and this and that. In reality the majority of the people there were very decent people... they lived very well and worked hard. So part of what I and a group of community activists did was to remind others that not everybody who lived in the South Providence neighborhood was poor or needy. Then and today, there are many professionals living in South Providence, and they are proud to live there.