My project grew out of wanting to share my experiences talking to people living on the US-Mexico border, to raise questions about what it means to be an active participant in your country's international relationships, and out of wanting to respond to the tribalism and exclusion that define our notion of patriotism. Especially after 9/11, American flags started popping up everywhere-- in one sense I thought they were supportive, and in another sense they baffled me. I have never felt very comfortable with flag-flying, because of the kind of patriotism I feel it suggests in certain contexts.
So after traveling to Agua Prieta I was just lying awake every night thinking about this, and realized I wanted to make my own flag that would send a message of alliance, and begin to express a patriotism that I am comfortable with.
I wanted a flag of my own. And I wanted a pride of my own, in a country of individuals that I understand to be doing their best to tackle difficult realities through engaging directly with them (-- and maybe even in ways that they enjoy!).
To me, a mended patriotism would ultimately be about involvement. It would be about reclaiming a participatory democracy, one where citizens (and residents) are engaged, feel powerful, and have the tools they need to stand up for the issues important to them.
"Mending" is a pretty, old-fashioned word, and my hope is that its use here hearkens back to a time when most Americans were more actively involved in the material stuffs of their lives and making use of the resources available to them.
Beyond this, there is a notion that historically, quilts have been used to mark safe houses, most notably on the Underground Railroad (some scholars debate this, but nevertheless it is part of our collective story). Along the border, these safe houses do exist, both literally and metaphorically.
How do allies identify themselves today?
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| Flag quilt on display at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon, 2013. |
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