BordeAndo
Image Description: A group of mostly Latina women looking left smiling. Four of them are squatting and holding a medium sized knitted sweater. Six of them are standing being expressive with their hands. Behind them is a series of images of knitted things and knitted items. On the right corner of the image there is a small christmas tree adorned with small spheres, the floor is a reddish brown. Some of them are also wearing an array of knitted sweaters.
BordeAndo is a crochet and embroidery collective of Latina women living in Corona, Queens. BordeAndo’s collaborative work in textile arts provides a connection to their heritage, a place to find support in one another through their weekly meetings at the Queens Museum, and an opportunity to engage in political education. The group’s name is a play on Spanish words, transforming bordando (embroidering) and borde (border) to create BordeAndo. As they make new textile works, the group shares their own experiences of migration from Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador, the difficulties faced by undocumented immigrants, and the impact of family separation. BordeAndo provides a healing space to talk openly and find support in fellow community members, as well as demonstrate joy, beauty, strength, and resilience in the work the members create together.