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.
Our story
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 Team
Ana Puentes Flores
Ana Puente Flores, 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.
Nicolás Linares Sánchez
Nicolás Efrén Linares Sánchez, nacido en Bacatá, Colombia, en 1982, creció en la Sabana Occidente de Bogotá, donde cultivó un profundo amor por la madre tierra, rodeado de montañas, lagunas, senderos y ríos. Desde 2004, reside en Nueva York, proveniente del territorio Muisca de Facatiba. Es padre, activista medioambiental, filósofo independiente y guardián del fuego. Se graduó del programa de Literatura en Español de Hunter College, CUNY.
Entre 2007 y 2018, fue codirector del Colectivo ‘Poetas en Nueva York’, donde organizó eventos literarios como el Maratón Cultural, el Festival Internacional de Poesía ‘Poetas en Nueva York’, micrófonos abiertos, protestas y lecturas poéticas. También fue director de la revista ‘La Orgullosa Calaquita’ y colaboró con diversas publicaciones como Hybrido Magazine, El Barco Ebrio, Casa Tomada y Queens Latino. Ha publicado varios poemarios, incluyendo Los Hijos de Tisquesusa (Bogotá, 2004), SINASCO ‘Sindicato de Astronautas Colombianos’ (Nueva York, 2007), Alteración del Orden Público (Nueva York, 2009), Libro Rebelde/Rebel Book (Sevilla, 2018) y Cubum Queycho-Palabra Flecha (Nueva York, 2025).
Nicolás ha caminado junto a ancianos y líderes comunitarios en diversas regiones de Abya-Yala, especialmente en Colombia, con Taitas de la selva y Tybas de la comunidad Muisca, así como danzantes del sol y road men’s de Turtle Island. Estas experiencias le han permitido recoger una sabiduría sencilla que disfruta compartir.
Fundó y coordina la organización Mazorca Colectiva, donde realiza círculos de Justicia Restaurativa en Queens y actividades que empoderan a la comunidad a través del intercambio de conocimientos ancestrales. Desde 2014, trabaja en la escuela pública East Elmhurst Community School, inicialmente como Asistente de Profesor. A lo largo de los años, ha revitalizado y expandido el jardín comunitario Lion’s Den, que se ha convertido en un espacio vital para el crecimiento, la educación y la conexión con la Pacha Mama.
Nicolás saluda al sol cada mañana, disfruta del café negro y de las noches estrelladas. Escribe por placer y como forma de autoconocimiento, y mantiene asuntos pendientes con la luna.
Daniela Giraldo Morales
Daniela Giraldo Morales 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.