The “Hope” Business
Justo Botanica Inc. has been selling hope since 1930, says shop owner, Jorge Vargas.
“Everybody needs hope,” says Vargas, 60. “It means having faith, and well, has to do with the depressed we have in this city, who look for hope in order survive and pass the times in this universe.”
Located in East Harlem, every inch of the small religious and spiritual store is covered with beads, plants, stones, and prayer cards.
The scent of burning incenses fills the room and shelves are crammed with tiny bottles of oils that ward of jinxes, or promise: success, protection, and love.
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