As photographers we often capture the physical act of migration — people in vulnerable situations crossing the U.S. border illegally. But I wanted to understand how movement between countries shapes families in the long term — how children who are first- or second-generation Americans reconfigured their identity.
I live in Guerrero, Mexico, but have in the past visited places in California and New York in an effort to understand and document how immigrants figure into the national narrative. This time around, I was interested in Texas because of the political and cultural complexities the state holds.
Mexicans lived there long before the United States existed. Much of the state is geographically closer to Mexico than to the rest of the country, and Mexican Americans have had a profound effect on the state’s identity. People on both sides of the border are connected by a shared history, family and culture.
The state is a Republican stronghold that has at times sought to set itself apart from, or even break away from, the rest of the country. I think that fragmentation is interesting — the push and pull between who won that territory after the Mexican American War and who lost it. Who dominates; who ceases to dominate.
This year, many young Latinos are voting for the first time. Some of them still have family in Latin America. And even as they fight to carve a path for themselves, they are united by a shared sense of community. They also understand that their vote can influence policy not just in the United States but also in their home countries, or the countries their parents left.
This young, multiracial and multiethnic demographic, who are more likely than in previous generations to have been born in the United States and speak English at home, could transform American politics. I wanted to know what their dreams and their fears are, especially growing up amid calls to return America to an earlier time.
In January, I traveled to Houston to lead a workshop. I was struck by how racially diverse the city was. The students in my class were Black, Latino, Asian and white, reflecting a melting pot of cultures. And yet, the different communities are not integrated.
As I got to know my students, I began to understand how that cultural diversity is shaped by the borders between the different communities. It seemed to me that what was happening there reflects the United States more broadly. In the summer, I returned to photograph the people I connected with through that workshop.
Tony Vega told me that he identifies as a liberal and thinks voting is important, but he hadn’t yet decided if he would vote or for whom. Some of his friends were also undecided.
Some younger voters tended toward a more progressive view on immigration, whereas some older voters felt differently. Cleotilde Rojas and her husband migrated from Mexico more than 40 years ago, and they worked hard so their children could have opportunities that were not available to them. But Ms. Rojas felt that perhaps it would be better to have a more conservative approach toward who the country does let in.
Arón Abrego is third-generation, but there is still this feeling of struggle that has shaped him. When I asked what his hopes for the future were, he told me that he didn’t want to have to worry about being behind on bills or paying for piano lessons.
This was a common thread among these voters. They all hoped to cement stability for themselves and for their families
I think the women in particular understood that real change could start with them. Many of them were pursuing higher education while they also worked.
United States immigration laws have touched and in many ways defined how these voters think of themselves and who they want to be. I was struck by how hopeful they were. How they held onto the idea that they had a critical role to play in creating a more just world. One vote at a time.
The post These are the Latino Voters Who Could Sway This Election appeared first on New York Times.
