We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ichito Salazar. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ichito below.
Ichito, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
I’ve always wanted to be accepted by those around me. Most people, in all honesty, don’t accept me for who I am. They judge me for who I am on the outside, rather than who I am on the inside. They see a young guy dressed in a suit trying too hard and being an annoyance online and in person. Ever since I could remember, I have been misunderstood and misjudged by many I’ve come across with. I’ve always been considered different by those around me. Well, I mean, who isn’t? The first thing people would mischaracterize me was for my height. I’m taller than most people around me. Currently, I’m 6’5ft. I’ve always been the tallest in my class and workplace. At the age of three years, I was already too tall to sit in the shopping cart. Some people really thought something was wrong with me to be that tall at a young age. I didn’t grow up playing basketball, like most people assumed I should have. Also, I was bullied as a kid for being too tall. I mean, you would think only short people get bullied, but I got bullied for being tall. I couldn’t do anything about it, because people would assume I did it, because I was trying to assert my dominance over those shorter than me.
Another thing people mischaracterized me for has been the way I dress. I’ve always admired those who wore suits – in real life and in fiction. I aspire to be someone who could wear a nice suit and look clean. I never mean to come off as pretentious with what I wear, I’m just a guy who’s humble and grateful. I’m glad I’m where I’m at and I thank everyone who helped me get to where I’m at. For starters, I’m grateful to my mom for believing in me, taking care of me, and paying for my room and board when I was an undergraduate. I know where I came from and I’ll remember to pay it back or forward, one day.
Where I live currently, it’s not common for a guy to dress up and go out to a restaurant, shopping center, museum, bar, or any public place – by himself or with someone else. When I first started dressing up, I had some people thinking I was part of the mob or from some government agency. I mean, I’d baffle when someone honestly thinks I look like I rob banks or even spy on people for a living. Believe it or not, but I get some people thinking that’s what I do for a living. I also get misjudged for being snobby or arrogant.
Another thing people mischaracterize is where I should be in life. Not everyone has the same life. Also, not everyone gets to live the life they want. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine and a Master of Science in Business Management from Western Governors University. I’m always told I should be a manager or executive of some company. The thing is that nobody is hiring for someone like me. I’m considered “overqualified” and “inexperienced” by many employers. I honestly wish I could have had a job that would pay the bills and lead to a simple life. However, I realized two years ago, after getting my 100th job rejection letter, that a simple life isn’t meant for me. I learned that I need to do something extraordinary in my life. That’s what led me to wanting to restart my creative journey of being the charismatic cookie bar baker I am today.
Being mischaracterized by many people around me has taught me two things. One, people aren’t as open-minded as they may think they are. We are all unique in our own way. Nobody is really the same. We all have unique traits that make us distinctive to one another. We may not be used to someone else possessing a trait we’re not used to, but that doesn’t mean that person should be belittled for being different. Acceptance is something I seek from people when I meet them. Those who do are the ones I thank graciously, while those who don’t are the ones I really hope they could open their minds and see that I don’t mean any harm. The second thing I learned is that people envy or wish they had what I had. Most people wish they can be taller, because if they were taller, they could, for example, be in the NBA and make millions. Well, size isn’t the only factor that can lead to a career in the NBA, but I understand where people are coming from. They may also wish they had my intelligence, physical appearance, education, and anything else from me that deem as valuable. People may think I’m wasting my life by not doing anything with what I have in terms of looks, education, size, and intelligence. I totally get that. I do feel like some of my life is being wasted. I really wish I could do other things in life, but with my current circumstances, which include a lack of resources, I have to make the most of my life. I have to continue moving forward and working to being the best that I can be. I have to reach for the stars and follow my dream.
Ichito, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Ichito Salazar. Well, my real name is Luis Armando Fonseca. Ichito is the nickname my mom gave me when I was a little kid. It sounds Japanese, but I’m not Japanese; I’m Mexican American. When I say “little”, I mean, when I was 3 feet tall or 2 years old. Yes, I’ve been a giant for all my life. I was born two feet tall and was already taller than both of my parents at the age of eight years. I’ve always been an extraordinary individual who has attracted some sort of attention and energy from the people around me. At first, it was my size, but now, it’s my eccentricity and outfits that attract a lot of attention.
Numerous people, in Ventura County, know me as the “Charismatic Baker” and the “Prince of Ventucky” (Ventucky is the nickname for the City of Ventura, where I live in). People know me as the guy who wears suits and bakes cookie bars which are basically a rectangular shaped cookie. Before wearing the suits, I wear today, I wore flannels and jeans. I still do, but not as much as I used to. I wear a suit five out of seven days of the week. I decided to become the fashionista baker I am today, after consulting with a friend I met at Macy’s who helped transform me to being my flamboyant self. It was because of her that led to me wearing all these astounding outfits that are rarely seen nowadays.
I first got into baking when I was seven years old. I grew up without an oven in my kitchen. Other families had kitchens with ovens and would make delicious treats but wouldn’t share any of it. At least, not with me. When my dad bought a stove with an oven with it, I began to bake cookies and share them with as many people as I could find. I was just a kid who wanted as many people as he could find to be happy. I thought making sweets would be a great way to make people happy. Willy Wonka did it, so why couldn’t I do it? I know he’s a fictional character, but still.
My dream is to spread positivity and joy in this cruel world we live in. Making sweets was not my original plan to expanding happiness in the world. I thought of becoming a cop and using the money from my salary to donate to charities and save up to establish a restaurant that would feed the hungry. Well, that didn’t work out, because I was considered legally blind at the time (I had PRK surgery done two years ago, so I’m not legally blind anymore). Then, I thought of becoming a history teacher, so I could inspire others to learn about the past to help transform our malicious present into a brighter, livelier future. However, that plan also failed after a traumatic event that scarred my desire to wanting to be a teacher. Now, I’m resorting to being a cookie-making entrepreneur and finding a way to maximize the societal well-being in this world. Through cookie bars (and other sweets), of course.
There isn’t a single way to spread goodness and cheer in this world, in my opinion. My sincerest way of doing it, currently, is by baking cookie bars and distributing them to those around me. For the most part, I sell them. However, if someone can’t afford one of my cookie bars, I give it to them for free. Not giving it to those who can’t afford it breaks one of moral principles: Give to those as you’d like others to give to you. There’s a lot of people who can’t afford the simple things in life, like food, housing, and clothing, right now. If I see someone feeling hungry, I’ll give them one of my cookie bars, in hopes of satisfying their craving and hunger, and bringing some sort of joy into their life. However, with the money I raise from selling my cookie bars, I use a portion of it to cover the baking costs, another portion to expand my baking business, and the other portion to buy food or clothing for the needy. This way I’m creating a profit, while also being socially responsible to a societal cause important to me.
Overall, what I want you to know about me is that I find ways to spread joy in this world. Right now, I’m doing it by baking and delivering sweets to people. I see myself as a Willy Wonka who is looking to spread sweet joy to others. I strive to find ways to create more positivity around me. Whether it’s me giving someone a homemade cookie or writing you a small note, I hope whatever I do can lead to someone feeling hopeful and cheerful. If I see someone feeling upset, I’ll stop what I’m doing and do something to make a change in that person’s world. If I see someone feeling hungry, I’ll buy or cook them food. If I see someone crying, I’ll stop and give them a tissue and listen to them. I’m a firm believer in the motto, “Just because you suffered, doesn’t mean anyone else has to”. Nobody, and I mean, absolutely, nobody, in this world, should suffer and be in any pain of any kind.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I was a kid, I grew up in an abusive home. My dad tormented me psychologically almost every day. I wasn’t allowed to smile, laugh, or show any kind of emotion. My mom and I weren’t allowed to be ourselves inside the home. If we laughed or even had a slight smile on our face, my dad would lash out his anger at us. I cried for hours and, sometimes, days when he’d hurt me psychologically. I wanted to be free. I wanted my family to be free and happy as well. I went to UC Irvine with the hopes of becoming a police officer, but also to find a way to dismantle the negativity in my home and liberate my family. I learned about different subjects, such as psychology, economics, military science, criminology, history (specifically about wars and revolutions that happened around the world), and political science. I sincerely thought with the knowledge I accumulated; I could help liberate my family from the abuse that was preventing them from progressing in life.
After I graduated from UC Irvine with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, I used my education and knowledge to confront my father. To me, he was the first obstacle I needed to overcome, if I wanted to really start my journey of creating a more peaceful, loving world. With my help, my mom and I resisted his psychological bullying. We fought back against him. Well, not in punches, but in psychological attacks, like I learned in the military science and psychology books I read in college. Two months after we revolted against him, she divorced him, and we threw him out of the home. We never saw him again after that. In the first time of my life, I was free and happy. I was free to pursue my ultimate dream of spreading joy in the world. Here I am now, being the free spirit that is trying to make his mark in the world.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My most important mission, in life, is to maximize happiness in the world. To me, happiness is brought by the fulfillment of your basic needs, but also by obtaining freedom, prosperity, peace, love, joy, and good health. Being a guy who bakes cookie bars and wears suits is just the beginning of my creative journey. Wearing a suit while carrying a basket full of cookie bars is my way of putting myself out there for people to see who I am in this world. With my business of baking cookie bars and delivering them, I’d accomplish my goals of bringing joy, love, and peace in this world. By building enough wealth from my cookie delivery business, which I hope results in me establishing a bakery one day, I would accomplish my goals of bringing prosperity into my life, but also into the lives of others. I’d like to share my wealth with others. I couldn’t give all of it, but I can give some of it to upgrade someone’s well-being.
I’ve always been a fan of the concept of utilitarianism which explains that actions are morally good if they maximize the happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. For me, I’m driven with the motivation to improve the well-being of others with my creativity. If I see that my creativity isn’t enhancing people’s happiness, I have to strategize on how to maximize societal joy or find some other creative thing to do to pursue my mission of boosting happiness in the world. I’ve done it before. I went from writing stories to acting to, now, baking cookie bars. I sincerely hope my cookie bars bring some a decent amount of happiness into people’s lives. Maybe it doesn’t bring as much happiness as a few hundred-dollar bills does, but it’s still better than nothing. Hopefully, I can expand my cookie bar business and boost more people’s happiness. That’s my goal for the next five years, at least.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ichitosalazar?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ichito.salazar?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-salazar-mim-48737066?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ichitosalazar?_t=ZT-8tLSKXUH0ve&_r=1
