Born in Oklahoma in 1936, Kruz Sanchez moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to complete graduate studies in the field of linguistics at Tulane University and never left. As a child, his first language was Spanish, but he now speaks English, Japanese, Italian, and Swahili as well, which allows him to engage with the multicultural population of the city on a more personal level. He is most known for his career as a thriving business owner. Sanchez started out his career as a vendor at the famous New Orleans flea market, after which he became one of the vendors for the First Annual Jazz and Heritage Festival. In 1972, he opened his own shop “Kruz” on Decatur Street in the French Quarter.