Mazorca Colectiva is a community of immigrants, Indigenous Peoples, and individuals from the Global South focused on reclaiming ancestral memory and practices. Central to their work is nurturing the cycle of life through the involvement of mothers and caretakers, who form the backbone of the community. They emphasize the importance of staying rooted in ancestral traditions to guide future generations toward sustainable and balanced ways of living, free from colonial and capitalist pressures. Their educational approach values diverse knowledge systems and aims to foster connections with the land and cycles of life.
The main teacher in our process of cultural recovery is the corn. Mazorca Colectiva emerged in response to the challenges faced by immigrant families, including incarceration and exploitation within the U.S. immigration system. The organization was founded during a period of racial capitalism and heightened vulnerability, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when families faced food insecurity and economic hardship. Recognizing that external help was unlikely, they turned to their ancestral practices and inherent sovereignty as a means of healing and survival.
Recognizing their inherent sovereignty has allowed Mazorca Colectiva to transition from mere survival to thriving within their community. They draw on their rich cultural heritage, including Indigenous food practices, traditional birth-work, and construction skills, demonstrating that they possess the resources needed for self-determination. Based in East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, Queens, the organization began in a school community garden and now operates in the Peace Garden. This space serves multiple purposes: teaching local children about ecological cycles, hosting ceremonies, meetings, cultural exchanges, and art workshops, and acting as a hub for community organizing.
Our project is centered on expanding our agency to recover and reconnect with our ancestral practices and traditions through a model following the nature of the Mazorca.
To actualize our teaching and learning methods through a spiral model where the elders and the children lead us with their knowledge and feedback. To recreate the model of kinship with the earth and all beings that live on it honoring the ways of our ancestors. To honor the caretakers of the territories where we are living right now and the territories and indigenous nations we are from.
A native of the Valley of Tenochtitlán also known as Mexico City, is of mixed descent (Otomí, Nahua, Mexica, and Spanish-Basque.) She moved to New York in 2015 to pursue Political Science studies at the City College of New York, where she became a Skadden Arps Legal Honors Program fellow and a Beyond Identity scholar-activist. Deeply involved in the migrant justice movement both on campus and in the courts, she led initiatives as part of the Dream Team at CCNY.
As the Institutional Development and Research Director at the Politics of Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI), Ana researched femicide in Mexico City and gender-based violence in post-war contexts in Southeast Asia. She also built Beyond Identity: A Political Platform for Scholar-Activists, alongside Dr. Nimmi Gowrinathan.
In the summer of 2018, at the onset of the family separation policy, Ana worked as a legal intern with the Dilley Pro Bono Project, preparing detained families seeking asylum for their credible-fear interviews. As a paralegal with KIND NY’s Detained Team, she created the first culturally relevant Know-Your-Rights training for tender-age children.
Ana is pursing her law degree at CUNY School of Law and has received a fellowship from the Sorensen Center for International Peace and Justice, through which she worked with the Lakota People’s Law Project. She contributed to writing an amicus brief in support of ICWA for the Supreme Court case Brackeen v. Haaland. In the summer of 2023, she interned as a Legal Intern and Researcher for Justice Cheryl Fairbanks of the Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska and Chief Justice Emeritus Robert Yazzie of the Navajo Nation. She continues to learn about Fundamental Law and Indigenous Peacemaking under Chief Justice Yazzie’s mentorship.
In the Spring of 2023, Ana co-founded Mazorca Colectiva. Her political work is rooted in advocating for immigrant and Indigenous Peoples as they fight for and thrive alongside the land, waters, and seeds.
Born in Bacatá, Colombia, in 1982, grew up in the western savannah of Bogotá, where he developed a deep love for Mother Earth, surrounded by mountains, lakes, trails, and rivers. Since 2004, he has lived in New York, coming from the Muisca territory of Facatiba. He is a father, environmental activist, independent philosopher, and guardian of fire. He graduated with a degree in Spanish Literature from Hunter College, CUNY.
Between 2007 and 2018, he co-directed the collective ‘Poetas en Nueva York’, where he organized literary events such as the Cultural Marathon, the International Poetry Festival ‘Poetas en Nueva York’, open mic nights, protests, and poetry readings. He was also the director of the magazine ‘La Orgullosa Calaquita’ and collaborated with several publications such as Hybrido Magazine, El Barco Ebrio, Casa Tomada, and Queens Latino. He has published several poetry books, including Los Hijos de Tisquesusa (Bogotá, 2004), SINASCO ‘Sindicato de Astronautas Colombianos’ (New York, 2007), Alteración del Orden Público (New York, 2009), Libro Rebelde/Rebel Book (Seville, 2018), and Cubum Queycho-Palabra Flecha (New York, 2025).
Nicolás has walked alongside elders and community leaders in various regions of Abya-Yala, especially in Colombia, with Taitas of the jungle, Tybas of the Muisca community, as well as sun dancers and road men of Turtle Island. These experiences have allowed him to gather simple wisdom that he enjoys sharing.
He founded and coordinates the organization Mazorca Colectiva, where he facilitates Restorative Justice circles in Queens and organizes activities that empower the community through the exchange of ancestral knowledge. Since 2014, he has worked at East Elmhurst Community School, initially as a Teaching Assistant. Over the years, he has revitalized and expanded the Lion’s Den community garden, which has become a vital space for growth, education, and connection with Pacha Mama.
Nicolás greets the sun each morning, enjoys black coffee, and starry nights. He writes for pleasure and as a form of self-knowledge, and has unfinished business with the moon.
Was born and raised in Queens, NY, to Colombian immigrant parents, with a diverse heritage that includes roots in the Pijao tribe of Quindio, Colombia, as well as other Spanish colonial influences. Daniela, a standout psychology graduate from Baruch College, shone both in the classroom and on various sports teams, including softball, cross country, and the swimming team. As an actively involved student athlete, she set school and division records on an individual and team level; and earned recognition such as CUNYAC Rookie of the Year, CUNYAC All Star, and ultimately receiving the honor of Athlete of the Year in 2018 for her contributions to both swimming and cross country running.
Professionally, Daniela’s experience spans client relations, sports advocacy, and mental health organizations. More recently, she has been combining her interests in mental health, and holistic wellness with community building and permaculture. Since initiating her permaculture path in 2022 with a Permaculture Design Course, she has been engaged with communities rooted in land stewardship, sustainability, and cultural wellness. Daniela is passionate about aligning her passions with a regenerative and traditional healing path through the various technologies rooted in ancestral knowledge.
Jazmin was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico near the beautiful Popocatépetl volcano. She grew up in a community where deep-rooted ancestral agricultural traditions were preserved and passed down through generations. Jazmin came from a family that cultivated their own food, baked, and honored their heritage, she developed an intuitive connection to the land, traditional culture, and profound love for nature from an early age.
At the age of 13, Jazmin immigrated to the United States. She later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Nutrition Sciences at Brooklyn College, becoming the first in her family to pursue and complete a college education. Her journey as a community advocate began at 15 when she became involved in initiatives supporting and empowering immigrant communities. Through rallies, educational programs, and volunteer work—such as her contributions at Atlas DIY—she gained firsthand experience in advocacy and outreach. These experiences, coupled with the challenges she faced as an immigrant, deeply influenced her professional path.
Jazmin recognized the importance of representation and inclusive spaces while working in the nonprofit sector and various agencies. She helped develop and lead youth programs such as Closer to Nature, a summer urban gardening initiative. This program provided young people with opportunities to learn about urban gardening, explore ancestral agricultural knowledge, and build community connections. Her professional background spans program development, facilitation, paralegal work, and social services case management.
Beyond her professional work, Jazmin is a Conchero dancer, gardener, wife and photographer. Her passion for cultural preservation, nature, and community continues to shape her work and inspire those around her.
