Finding the American dream in restaurant kitchens

Marcelino Martinez prepares plates of food for customers at the Hamburger Hamlet he manages in Sherman Oaks.   (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Marcelino Martinez looks over an order at the Hamburger Hamlet in Sherman Oaks. When the chain was expanding, it hired many Oaxacan Zapotecs like Martinez, valuing their strong work ethic. Martinez still shows up an hour early for work to make sure the fryers are clean.   (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Marcelino Martinez keeps a watchful eye on waiter Zack Stevens at the Hamburger Hamlet in Sherman Oaks. He has trained other workers for decades. “A lot of these young guys -- 20, 30 years old -- they can’t work like me,” Martinez said. “I have a lot of energy.”   (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Marcelino Martinez greets customers at the Hamburger Hamlet he manages in Sherman Oaks. Many of his fellow Oaxacan Zapotecs who worked at the once-prosperous chain left for higher-paying jobs when the federal government granted amnesty in 1986, but Martinez stayed on. “I’m happy at Hamburger Hamlet,” he says. “When you’re happy in a job, why should you change?”  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Asael Gonzalez prays before a meal with his granddaughter Erika Jovel at his son’s home in Northridge. Gonzalez, a Zapotec Indian, was a supervisor at Hamburger Hamlet for many years, recruiting hundreds from his mountain region of Oaxaca, Mexico, to work in the then-expanding chain. Many went on to become highly skilled chefs. Gonzalez now lives in Tecate, Mexico.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)