Cristina Martinez is a James Beard award-winning chef and owner of South Philly Barbacoa.
She is the keynote speaker for Upper School Friends Multicultural Day, and she will lead a workshop for students on grinding corn for masa and making tortillas.
Martinez also owns Casa Mexicana Martinez. She arrived in the U.S. in 2009, escaping domestic violence and seeking a way to earn money to support her children. Martinez, who is undocumented, was fired from her job at the time when her employer discovered her status. Martinez has since become an activist in support of undocumented people's rights.
