LA CARAVANA

In 2018, I flew to Chiapas to join La Caravana as it took its first steps into Mexican territory. The members of the Caravan sought safety in numbers as they traveled 2,475 miles to reach Tijuana. To cover such a distance, migrants and asylum seekers traveled light, relying on donations and shelters for the food, water, clothing, and medicine they desperately needed. In November 2018, approximately 7,000 migrants reached the end of their journey as they arrived in Tijuana. Most stayed at the Benito Juarez shelter, a converted outdoor sports arena that was later closed for unsanitary conditions.

Their hope was that strength in numbers would protect them and possibly even persuade the US to open their doors. The opposite happened. Donald Trump declared a "National Emergency" and sent troops to the US/Mexico Border. Trump also threatened to cut humanitarian aid to Central America.

The people I met were parents, students, and children with hopes and aspirations of living free of fear. Many were fleeing extortion and death threats from gangs. Maria Fernanda, a clever young woman, disguised herself as a man to stay safe. Others were disabled and especially vulnerable to the dangerous journey north. Throughout Mexico, many everyday people showed empathy and solidarity with the Caravan by giving food, shelter, and fresh clothes to those making the journey.

My goal with these photographs is to document the plight and resilience of the refugees and migrants I traveled with from Chiapas to Tijuana. I am focusing on them as individuals with dignity and dreams, not as a mass of people. I want to expose the truth about who they are, the injustices they suffer, and all they have to offer both The United States and the world at large.