We were so incredibly productive with over 800 of us (likely closer to 1,000) volunteers sewing over 350,000 masks—1,100+ from my little corner (plus another 900 sewn by my friends coordinated out of my short-lived Culver City satellite of the Westside hub), being delivered or shipped all over the country.
Nerd data tracking: I can share that 28% of masks I made for ASS were donated to farm/agricultural workers, 24% to immigrants/low income, 15% to First Nations, 11% APIs, 11% African Americans, 5% Medical workers, 5% day laborers, and 4% unhoused. Geographically, 32% went locally to LA/So. Cal, 27% South, 16% Nor Cal, 11% East Coast, 8% Midwest, 4% unknown, and 3% Northwest. Size wise, 26% Extra Small (younger kids), 16% Small (older kids/teens), 45% Medium and 13% Large/XL (adults).
What I will remember is how much I loved making every single mask, designing and adapting different mask styles and my signature multi-colored reversible split masks, cutting fabric like Tangrams or Tetris to maximize every inch of every scrap of material which is very satisfying, feeding my need for orderliness, the sense of accomplishment with each stack completed, inspiring creativity; and how each piece of colorful or Mom’s vintage fabric brought joy and/or childhood memories to me. I truly received so much fulfillment during the most stressful and isolating time ever in many of our lives as news of the Coronavirus cases and deaths filled my newsfeed, social injustice/unrest/protest, idiocracy/election, and endless hours of Netflix binging played in the background while I sewed. I want to think that hopefully we saved some lives by giving free masks to vulnerable people, essential workers and immunocompromised folks who could not afford or find needed facemasks, especially in the earliest days of the pandemic. 
I want to thank organizer/activist/performance artist/writer/politician/influencer/media sensation friend Overlord Kristina Wong who I have known for decades when she was in college, for creating this national effort with amazing intention, responding to every post and insane question via Facebook, running in and out of her home in Koreatown to collect masks and throw supplies into Auntie car windows a gazillion times. Of course I also need to thank and my dear sister friend/API badass arts organizer/Pokemon comrade who I have known since my Great Leap days as an arts administrator Leilani Chan who got me started with, “You want to me to bring you some fabric and elastic?” How many do you want?”
But first I had to find my sewing machine and foot pedal deep in the junk room closet, and it took me hours to sew the first one, and a week to sew the first 8 masks. Things got better, at the peak I was churning out about 30-40 masks every weekend, and cutting fabric during webinar trainings, and sewing from Friday night through Sunday night, then packing up and shopping or delivering to Leilani’s Westside Hub on Mondays often during lunchtime, where I would stock up on more fabric, nose pieces, thread and Auntie care goodies of the week.
While the Aunties are now officially in retirement, we still have things to look forward to—the long awaited upcoming farewell gatherings (I’ll be the middle aged Asian lady in a mask and ASS-branded tshirt), an Auntie-created book "The Auntie Sewing Squad Guide to Mask Making, Radical Care, and Racial Justice,” (edited by academic superheroines to which I contributed a short piece about my mom and seamstress/immigrant grandmas), a short film, and Kristina’s Off-Broadway show still to come.
As for my sewing future, I still have plenty of leftover fabric and supplies and will continue to sew on my own, albeit at a much slower pace—there’s Tony’s 3rd graders I want to sew for, friends and family who need replacement masks, and vulnerable folks who still need free masks.
Love, Auntie Jenni
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