As a child in Ecuador I grew up with many traditions, one of them being the Chola Cuencana. My parents and grandparents dresses me up in these traditional clothes on special occasions such as holidays and for festivals. These skirt is called a pollera and the scarf is a bufanda. These are from when I was about 2 or 3 years old. These are made of wool; however, they can be made from more luxurious fabrics as well. These are made to be sturdy as women in the country side often wear them as well. My family and I came to the United States when I was three and a half, bring items such as these that keep us close to our traditions and culture. When we came, we could not bring so many things so we brought the items you could not get here. Polleras and bufandas are made by hand and can be made with as many colors, embroiders and sequences. There are the ones that are for more festive occasions and ones that are more plain and are used in the country side. When my parents came to the United States they both had to work instead of just my dad working. They both did household chores according to who was home with me. My mother only stopped working when my younger brother was born. This shows how necessity to survive overrides gender roles.  

– Joseline Marin

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant