How an American textile business helps family members in Mexico

During the COVID-19 pandemic, California resident Rufina Gutierrez knew her family members back in Oaxaca, Mexico, were struggling financially. Gutierrez comes from a multigenerational family of artisans who weave and sell bags, rugs, and other products from wool.

“When I was younger, I was an artist myself, and it’s what I used to do as a living,” said Gutierrez. “I used to help my dad dye and clean the wool, so it’s very important to me to preserve this and to help my family out.”

Gutierrez enlisted her daughter, Cinthia Vicente, to help start a business to sell the textiles made by their family in Oaxaca for purchase in the United States. Now, they run The Zapotec Weavers, based in Anaheim, California.

Vicente handles marketing, shipping, and inventory for the business. She said her aunts and cousins back in Oaxaca have been able to expand their homes thanks to the income from the Zapotec Weavers.

“My cousin actually just had a baby, and he’s growing up with toys and new clothes and a crib,” Vicente said. “He has things that my cousin never had in the past.”

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