The 2 shots of the woman on the bed, so different in treatment, or capture (I probably meant rapture) are charged with desire and erotism…. Suggested, not revealed, of course! ;-)

As an American woman who married a Central American immigrant to the USA quite a long time ago and subsequently moved back to his country with him i can say i have known the subjects of these photos on both sides of the border. I know what provokes them to leave their countries (and it’s not always economic necessity. Sometimes it’s a right of passage to adulthood, other times adventure and still other times it’s to escape a sticky legal or paternity issue back home) and have known how they behave once they take up residence in the US. One thing that always touched me are the photographs they take of each other to send back home or just to document their new lives in the US. These photos can capture what for us is the most stunningly simple moment or location but invariably, when i see these snapshots taken by immigrants i am always reminded how we take certain aspects of US life so very for granted. For example, a ride on an escalator or standing in front of the unremarkable restaurant where they work in the kitchen, or snapped posing proudly in 2 or 3 inches of what is their first snowfall without even a jacket on, still tan from their trip up from the border, in front of the local mall, whatever..wherever..it all represents the American dream to them. And i find those snapshots just unbelievably touching.

For this reason, the pola of the guy in front of the Wallmart spoke to me most deeply of the Central American immigrant’s dream. This is the kind of photo they would take of each other. This is the kind of moment they would savor as important, a day off at Wallmart. Yup. That’s just about right. This photo tugged at my heart and made me remember so much about the guys who came and stayed with us, their hair still long and shaggy from the difficult trip, their bodies skinny because they never got enough to eat on the way up, their backpacks or gym bags pretty empty because they got robbed all along the way, their faces homesick and shell-shocked by their harsh new reality, their eyes hopeful that they will find good work and always a naivete and insecurity (regardless of their criminal background back home) as to just how and where they’re going to fit in.

I think that this sort of essay is important and i urge you to continue but i hope you will stay true to the Latino experience and not try to filter your vision to engage your mainstream viewers. Please stay raw, do not digitally over-process your photos as some are here. I find that distracting and patronizing. I personally do not need or want your vision digitally altered. There were a number of photos that could as easily have been taken back home in Latin America as in the USA which confused me.The girl passed out on the ground, the Jesus with the money, the birthday party. There wasn’t enough context to tell me what side of the border i was looking at. But maybe that was the point, that life in the new country just starts to immitate life in the old country. If that’s part of the message then fine, i just wasn’t sure. I don’t have any idea why the close-up of the grainy girl was in the mix. And i don’t know what #8 is or what it has to do with the immigrant experience. I think your vision is especially well expressed in the river scene, the train, the guy walking through the desert scrub, the bus shelter and as i said, the Walmart photo. Maybe even the girl passed out on the ground. The scene at the dump is curious to me. No immigrant i knew lived in a dump. They all have connections in the USA. They might share an overcrowded apartment or room but no immigrant i knew would have struggled to get themselves north just so they could live in a dump. Where is this? The border? Mexico? The USA? i’m totally puzzled.

I hope i have not insulted you. i strongly encourage you to continue this kind of documentation. It really is important to relate the experience of the immigrant in the US with understanding and empathy and a clear eye for the truth and the essence of the experience. Don’t be too kind or too critical. Just be real and the story will be fascinating.

Most sincerely:
Kathleen Fonseca
(Costa Rica)

i love the project. and i love the edit. thanks for sharing this.

I am just catching up and reading all the great exchanges on the work of Victor. I had seen the slideshow when you had just posted the link and was then away for a couple of days so it is great to read 100 comments when back and see what all have thought of the essay. I know that you often pick subjects that push the boundaries, explore a more personal vision. When I had just looked at it, I was left unsure what to really think of it in this particular case… for me as well I felt that it may lack some unity and the work seem a bit too disparate somehow… Like Chris had found himself, I also agree that some of the other essays on Victor’s site were stronger and more interesting… Now, regardless of how I felt at the time and even if I am not a big fan of that one particular essay (although there are few photographs that I also love, like the party one that is simply great), I really appreciate you showing us such different types of work. The conversations that are generated as a result are very rich and help us all think more about the work we do, how to approach a topic and how to develop a more personal vision… I will continue to look at lots and lots of work as honestly, I did not get this one either, but I am working hard on digesting all of what you are sharing with us :):):):). Thanks for Victor for sharing this essay that generated healthy discussions. If I was not a fan of it, I really enjoyed “way down in the hole” :):):):)

Cheers,

Eric

But it is true that the one thing about living in Washington State I never could stomach was all the damn vampires.

When you start thinking about the audience too much you begin to think like a marketer and not an artist.

peace,

Bryan

When you start thinking about the audience too much you begin to think like a marketer and not an artist.

peace,

Bryan

keep on, keepin’ on! :)

cheers
bob

Server not responding? I’ll try this again.

Back for a moment…I can do better in expressing what I said above…

Version #2:
In your comments above you both (in words) expressed yourselves in your own unique ways leaving me inspired, with lots to think about and wanting more.

The process we just went thru together as writers/reader is more or less the same process we are discussing as photographers/viewers. Not much more to say other than thanks and I will try my best as both photographer and viewer to push my boundaries.

As an aside…the relationship between what we write and what we see causes me to think the suggestions about “banning comments altogether” may not be a great idea. Some good does come from them.

anyway, off to look at his website now.

Running myself…
Will take a look at Bob’s link asap.
For now just wanted to thank you for your great comments and for your kind way of presenting them.

Both comments very inspirational, made me think about what you were saying without hitting me over the head. Left me with a lot to think about. Just like what we are all looking for the images to do! :))