Border Wall
“What would happen if we tore down this wall at the border? Look at the world we live in.” Hector Barajas understands the need for the United States to guard its borders, he tells me, as we sit next to the border wall in Tijuana, Mexico. “Look at where we’re […]
Border Art
David Maung, a photojournalist who has lived nearly 20 years in Tijuana, has spent the past 12 years documenting the processes of migration in the region. On Friday, March 28, 2014, he presented his work at the Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT), photos with intimacy and tenderness, capturing everyday moments in […]
Migrant Stories
Robert Vivar, a father and grandfather, made a good living working construction in Corona, California. That is, until he was tracked down by ICE and deported in 2011. Now, along with thousands of others recently deported from the U.S., Vivar works at Telvista, a call center and one of the […]
Migrant Stories
Jose Luis Cisneros’s face still bears the marks of the violence he suffered more than 10 years ago. Cisneros, now in his mid-50s, spent 20 years working as a migrant farm worker in Washington, Oregon and California, crossing back and forth following the harvests. But Cisneros’s life changed dramatically in […]
Border Art / Border Wall
Happy 20th anniversary, NAFTA. This year, we ring in the new year with a reminder of the trade agreement that has rocked the lives of millions in the US, Mexico and Canada. A group of artists commemorated this day with an installation at the San Diego-Tijuana border where the ugly […]
Border Art / Border Wall
El 13 de septiembre inauguró la exposición Rastros: fotografías del muro fronterizo por Jill Marie Holslin en el Instituto de Cultura de Baja California, Tecate. Las expo dura un mes, hasta 13 de octubre. Quiero agradecer a Pilar Silva, directora de la galería, por invitarme a exponer mis fotos allá. […]
Border Wall
Senator John McCain recently praised the senate’s immigration bill for enabling the U.S. to create “the most militarized border since the Berlin Wall.” It is amazing to me how that symbol of oppression has been rebranded in just a few short decades. In the summer of 2008, the Department of […]
Border Wall
The U.S. Senate passed a sweeping immigration bill today, after weeks of negotiation over amendments designed to appeal to the most recalcitrant anti-immigration legislators. The Democratic controlled Senate passed the bill by a vote of 68-32, but not before adding provisions for a massive buildup of border security. The “border […]
Border Wall / Migrant Stories
In 2012, the Obama administration deported 409,849 people living in the United States without proper immigration status. By 2014, estimates suggest that Obama will have deported 2 million. The American people cheer this effort and offer simple moral platitudes: “They knew the risks, they were here illegally. Let’s round up their […]
Border Wall
The U.S. Senate today came to an agreement on the immigration reform bill, agreeing to a “border surge” amendment which would double the number of border patrol agents–adding an additional 20,000 agents, mandate excessive spending on border security infrastructure–700 additional miles of border walls, more access roads, forward operating bases, lights […]