Gallery • 13 Photos

What was left behind from an immigrant taking the dangerous and risky journey to cross the Southern Border.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to take the trip and explore Washington D.C. I am a second-generation immigrant, and my family migrated to the United States from México in hopes to chase the American Dream and provide the opportunities for my siblings and me to achieve that dream. I have always had the interests of understanding what the American Dream and freedom meant in the eyes of an immigrant. So, what other way to find those answers than by taking a trip to the nation’s capital?  

Hundreds of thousands and even millions of immigrants take the treacherous journey each year across Latin America and México just to make it across a border and into a nation that is filled with opportunities and prosperity that was set by our Founding Fathers and other important American figures. What really sets the motivation for many to migrate into the United States is fulfilling those dreams and turning them into reality. Washington D.C. is the home of democracy within our nation. Government buildings, monuments, important documents, etc. all symbolizes the history of the United States in a story that inspires many immigrants willing to take the chance of leaving their home nation wanting to come to the U.S.  

During my time at Washington D.C., my mission was to find what freedom and the American Dream meant for a second-generation immigrant living in the United States, like me. I captured photos that illustrate a story of how the journey begins and ends with the beauty and importance of Washington D.C. capturing the identity of freedom and the American Dream.