Pete Vargas, Owner/Barista Cafe Cafetzin
Pete Vargas originally born in Adrian, Michigan a small town South of Lansing. Attended Eastern Michigan University where he got his start in student and community organizing. “On any university you have an opportunity to make change in a micro community, the challenge is to take that experience and bring it to the streets”, said Vargas. He would do just that over the next several years. In 1994 with friends and fellow organizers from college whom created a state wide support network for each other, they would all co-found a non profit organization called the Xicano Development Center (XDC), an organization dedicated to addressing the issues facing the Chicano community as well as teach grass roots organizing and theory.
While living in Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor he would meet up with Winona Laduke, who ran for Vice President of the United States with Ralph Nader on the Green Party Ticket. “We met at a Pow Wow, had some coffee and conversation and before you know it we were in Business together”. Winona Laduke and Pete Vargas formed Muskrat Coffee Company, a native owned and operated coffee roasting company that promotes Organic and Fair Trade coffee. “We wanted to create a model of a socially responsible business.”, says Vargas. He would remain a partner for the next six years. In 1996 he would move to Detroit where he worked both as a union organizer for the United Steel Workers as well as an Advertising manager for a prominant and progressive Black Newspaper called The Michigan Citizen. “Detroit was a wonderful experience and opportunity for the XDC to promote leadership as well as take the organizing experience I learned from college and help real people in their community.
After living and organizing for several years in Detroit he decided to move back to Adrian, his hometown. “Adrian has a large Chicano community, but didn’t have a whole lot going on politically or in the way of cultural programs”. While there he co-founded another non-profit, the Leh Nah Weh Native American Organization. Serving as Vice President he raised money and awareness for the Native American community and organized Traditional and Competition Pow Wows. He also established a Cinco de Mayo parade and fiesta as well as a casually published Bi-lingual newspaper called La Onda. The Lenawee County community took notice of Pete Vargas’ accomplishments and was nominated for Lenawee County Citizen of the Year.
Again after living in Adrian for several years he decided to make one more move, to Lansing. “Detroit was too big and dangerous, Adrian was too small, Ann Arbor was too pretentious, Lansing seems to be just right!” says Vargas. Pete has many friends both socially and politically and feels right at home in the hub of Michigans political movement. Since he has been here for almost two years he has been a political strategist and consultant for several campaigns, as well as opened up a new business Cafe Cafetzin. “I want to create a space for public discourse, cultural movement, new ideas and great tasting organic coffee.” says Vargas. He looks forward to making Lansing his home.
Cafetzin is located at 2013 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48912.
