Choclo y Chicha Vol. 2

The theme of Choclo y Chicha Vol. 2 is ​family portraits​. Our goal was to inspire our communities to re-explore and revisit their family histories, as demonstrated through pictures, while we sheltered-in-place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked that all submissions include two pictures (one from the past and one from the present) and an accompanying text to draw connections between the two. Folks were invited to submit their pictures and text however they wished, whether as separate pieces or as collages or other works of art.

In this section we feature pieces such as excerpts from the incredible oral history of Analisa Freitas and a beautiful poem by Marisol Silva, “when I make chicha morada and play your huaynos full blast, and I carry a backpack on the 7 train from Queens to Brooklyn brimming with jars of aji panca, aji amarillos, rocotos, I hold onto Ayni when I can’t remember words in any language, I hold onto Ayni, when I remember that who we are as a people is much too strong to ever be forgotten,” she writes.

Additionally, inspired by our colectivo member Jamie San Andres’ call to action, we are excited to introduce a new section to our zine entitled ​Andean Political Reflections.​ When we first started dreaming up our zine series, we had no idea the state of the world we would be in. Since November 2019, we have seen unbearable violence and injustice across our diaspora, from the protests, uprisings, and government repression in Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, the U.S., and most recently, Peru, we know that it is important now more than ever to continue building spaces for solidarity, dialogue and discussion. Those of us Andeans living in the belly of the beast must find it our moral duty to take a stand in solidarity. This position is a principle that has guided our work since the beginning, and it is impossible to do cultural work without addressing the political. Hence, this section will be a space for community dialogue with our friends, compañerxs, partner organizations, and others to share their perspectives and reflections on important political and historical moments in the Andean diaspora.

The theme of Choclo y Chicha Vol. 2 is ​family portraits​. Our goal was to inspire our communities to re-explore and revisit their family histories, as demonstrated through pictures, while we sheltered-in-place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked that all submissions include two pictures (one from the past and one from the present) and an accompanying text to draw connections between the two. Folks were invited to submit their pictures and text however they wished, whether as separate pieces or as collages or other works of art.