Migrant women find sisterhood through embroidery workshop in South Bronx
NEW YORK - An embroidery workshop is bringing migrant women together in the South Bronx to bond over their shared experience.
For every stitch made, a new moment is created. They are moments of raw truth and honesty, told in a safe space, with a table full of listeners, and other women who share similar struggles. They converse all while doing the art they enjoy.
"Everyone has a story that we have to share," said participant Sandra Brooks. "We share our stories and then we give suggestions about what we can do."
For more than a year, Brooks has joined these women twice a week to create embroidery with the help from the non-profit Transnational People's Network.
"It alleviates the stress, it helps for people who have high blood pressure," she said.
She explains the women in the workshop migrated to the United States at some point in their lives and have dealt with similar struggles, like language barriers. Several of them had to learn Spanish and English, as their native tongue is an indigenous language. Brooks, originally from Honduras, says the group gives her a pocket of peace.
"We are very united. We are sisters. We love each other," Brooks explained.
Euphemia Neri has been doing embroidery since she was 5 years old in Mexico and is considered the teacher of the group. She explains what this group means to her.
"Whenever we embroider and we are together, we are very happy with what we do," Neri said in Spanish.
Brooks hopes more women can feel the unity and love if they join the group.
"I want them to feel the same way that I feel -- good, great, I'm grateful," said Brooks.
The embroidery group will be showcasing their work at an art show in Queens next month.
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