In March 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, the Auntie Sewing Squad was founded by comedian Kristina Wong to provide masks to those unable to access them for financial reasons or other hardships. Unbeknownst to Wong when she started, the group would grow to a considerable size, receive media attention, and importantly, go on to sew and distribute over 350,000 masks to groups ranging from First Nations communities, migrants seeking asylum, farm workers, and a variety of other organizations, many based in California. Fronted by women of color, the organization took on the title “auntie,” as aunties across the country sewed over thousands of handmade masks to supply to underprivileged communities to help protect them from COVID-19.
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