These are a few of the first images from the Two Americas project so far. Two Americas is a work-in-progress photographic project that looks at the more subtle aspects of the current relationship between Latin America and the United States of America. Beyond the border, on both sides, the cross-cultural influence is far-reaching and complex. While the Two Americas project will consider current hot-topics such as immigration, the main focus of this project will be on the every-day instances of cultural overlap in effort to provide an authentic visual account of the current relationship and integration between the United States and Latin America.
I started the project by doing a ride-along with the Border Patrol in Tijuana. The only place on earth where a 3rd world country borders a 1st world country is the tenuous line between Mexico and The United States. The border is a somber, barren place, with wrecked dreams strewn alongside the debris in the no-man’s land between the first and secondary fences. The first two images here are from the border (San Ysidro and Tijuana). The first image is from the American side; the second image is from the Mexican side ....very close to a McDonald's!
The very nice Border Patrol Agent, Gabriel G., who showed me the sights was actually born in Tijuana, but has been an American citizen for over 26 years. Signs of cultural overlap are everywhere.
As I photograph for Two Americas I strive to provide the viewer with something that is exciting and new but still comfortable and familiar. I am looking for subtle contradictions, evidence of cultural overlap, little bite-sized pieces of a larger truth. I try to find the strangely familiar element to make it a little more palatable, and hopefully, effective in opening a heart or two.
