CLOTHING SWAP
LITTLE MANILA, QUEENS,
NEW YORK CITY
On June 29, 2024, the UKAI Initiative—alongside NYC-based artists, Project Hajra, and community volunteers from Filipino groups like Malaya and Anakbayan—organized a participatory clothing swap in Little Manila, Queens, New York City. Inspired by ukay-ukay, the event brought visibility to diasporic reuse culture. With over 86,000 Filipinos in NYC, this growing community is the third largest Asian group in the city.
A makeshift photobooth served as a space for oral history interviews, capturing reflections from participants. These conversations help us better understand how people relate to clothing, memory, and identity. Centering these lived experiences supports more responsive advocacy and strengthens connections within our community.
Events like this foster connection and collective action. Youth volunteers were trained in leadership and helped run the swap, modeling new ways to engage in community work. These efforts are part of imagining futures where care, creativity, and participation drive how we build with one another.
Photos by: Ryan Santos Phillips, Gisela Zuniga, Xenia Diente, Rocco Cetera, Geoffrey Borabien