Ms. Irma Gonzalez Galvan was born Brownsville, Texas in 1941 and moved with her family to Houston’s 2nd Ward when she was a young child. Here, she learned to cook from a neighbor and began preparing meals for her brothers and sisters. Later, she worked in her school’s cafeteria, as well as in a couple of neighborhood bakeries, including La Zebra and Nopal. These early experiences with food combined with retail experience, formed the foundation of Irma’s restaurant which she opened in 1989, seven years after her husband, Louis, was killed. In 2007, State Farm recognized Ms. Galvan’s perseverance and success when they awarded her the Embrace Life Award. Further recognition came the next year when Irma’s was named one the five “America’s Classics” by the James Beard Foundation.

She was interviewed on 8 October 2010 at Irma’s, 22N.Chenevert St., Houston, TX 77002. The interview was conducted by Sandra Davidson on behalf of the Oral History of Houston Project, Center for Public History, University of Houston. The interview is available at M.D. Anderson Library on the main campus of the university.