Inmigration in US & inmigration in Spain

My project deals with the impact (economic, cultural and other things that would come along the way) immigration from Latin America has brought to Spain, particularly in Madrid. As in any part of the world, the capitals of each country are the chosen ones for people to migrate to. In the case of Spain, Madrid and Barcelona are the cities who experience the most of this phenomenon called immigration.  A few days ago I went to an exhibition about this topic. It was very interesting and educational, both for people who are just staying in this country for a short time and to the ones that were born and live here. It is important to emphasize the reasons people migrate which is most but not all the time an economic cause.

Been in Madrid for almost three weeks and I was able to walk around a lot of areas and watch. I've been around a few neighborhoods and was able to appreciate the diversity this city is evolving into. I was quite well admired and astonished to see the diversity in this city. Some civilians do not see with good eyes the way Spain is evolving to, a melting pot of cultures and the diversity it brings with it.

This is one of the reason I am doing this project. The main reason I was given a grant to do this project is to find a way of understanding of this phenomenon and bring a bigger picture and hopefully open some minds about this subject matter.

Being an immigrant is difficult and challenging. I migrated to the United States at the age of 13. Not knowing what we will encounter along the way, I knew deep in my heart my mother made the right decision. We were always educated (my four siblings and I) to be responsible civilians and to respect others and ourselves too. After 18 years living abroad I can say I am happy and feel I've accomplished a lot of goals I've set for myself. One of them was to go to school, get a degree and pursuit and make the most out of it.

Back in the US, when I think about the term "immigrant", it does not have any negative connotation since the United States is a country who was created and founded by immigrants. We are all immigrants and there is nothing wrong with it. This could be the big picture since we know in some states there is hate, however when we really stand together we are more than those ones.

I feel Spain has a long way to go on the way they approach and understand this phenomenon. The awareness of people about this topic is very important, and most important is once they acquire knowledge they know how to use it and how to react to it. At this early point of my investigation I feel there is no knowledge and therefore there is ignorance and ignorance becomes indifference.

I am here to explore, investigate, get to know lots of people from different walk of life, from different backgrounds. They all have something to say and I want to be there to listen and document it.

This is a video that touched me and I want to share it here. We are all special.

Perdonamos pero no olvidamos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkFJE8ZdeG8&feature=player_embedded">

Contact

So today was a very productive day. Between the process of finding apartment and going all around Madrid, I needed a chance to dedicate sometime to the main reason why I am here in Spain. I had this meeting planned from a week ago and I was anxious to go and meet the person I've been in contact for almost a year.

So I met Barbara from Asociacion Era, this is an Non-governmental organization, who aids the immigrant to adjust to a new environment, help them in the process of finding a job and even English classes, not only for immigrants but to Native Spanish as well. She is in charge of many other things as well.


So I met her and we started to talk about many things, to me the most important was about the people who come to her in search of help and how this association works around that. The main focus of my project is get to know people from Latin American origin and to talk to them about the circumstances for which they took the decision to migrate and if it was worth it. The act of migrating can be broken down in many aspects. The reasons, the ways they migrate, the adjustment, the challenges one faces in the new country; I would like to know those aspects from them. Photography would come after this, first I need to know the subjects.


I was very excited to meet Barbara because she is very excited about this project too. This excitements from both parts is very crucial to make this project go on the right direction. I feel we will make a good team and we are speaking the same language. 


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Hoy dia ha sido un dia muy productive, entre buscar piso y andar por todo Madrid, necesitaba darle un tiempo a la razon por la cual estoy aqui. he tenido esta reunion planeada hace ya mas o menos una semana y estaba anciosa por conocer a la persona que he estado contactando por casi un ano y que sin su ayuda la beca no se me hubiera dado.


Conoci a Barbara de la Asociacion Era, que es una organizacion sin fines de lucro que ayuda al inmigrante a su adaptacion en esta ciudad. Le ayudan en la busqueda de empleo y/o preparlos para tal. Tambien no solo ayudan al inmigrante sino tambien a la gente autoctona, ya que imparten clases de ingles de varios niveles. Ella esta a cargo de varias otras cosas muy interesantes.


Y bueno, empezamos a conversar sobre muchas cosas, y para mi lo mas importante de conversar fue sobre que personas venian a pedir ayuda, y como la organizacion tiene que lidear con eso, mas que todo en asuntos legales, etc.
El punto focal de mi projecto es conocer gente que viene de Latinoamerica y hablar con ellos sobre las circumstacias que los llevaron a emigrar y si ha valido la pena hacerlo. El acto de emigrar puede ser visto desde varios aspectos: Las razones que tuvieron, la manera de venir, las vicicitudes que uno puede encontrar en un nuevo pais. Me gustaria saber esos aspectos de su vida de ellos. La fotografia vendra despues, primero es importante saber de ellos lo mas posible.


Estuve muy contenta de conocer a Barbara, mas que todo porque ella tambien esta muy contenta con este proyecto y eso es algo muy esencial para que esto vaya por el buen camino. Vamos a ser un buen equipo.

ELLA

Desde el momento que vi su obra me atrapo. Nose como, donde, cuando...pero su vision y talento fue algo que no he visto en tanto tiempo.

Esta es una de las fotos mas conocidas de ella si no me equivoco:


La exhibicion de Cristina Garcia Rodero en el Circulo de Bellas Artes es simplemente maravilloso!!! Transtempo es el titulo de la exhibicion. No puedo describir la emocion que senti cuando vi sus fotografias alli frente mio. De simplemente verlas en el internet y verlas alli mismo fue increible.
El tamano en que fueron impresas tambien le da un cierto tipo de suma importancia y mas todavia a los sujeto de su obra. Esta fotografa ha pasado decadas documentando festividades religiosas y paganas por toda Espana pero mas que todo en Galicia. Muy pocos fotografos pueden asumir tal resposabilidad. Pero ella queria y estaba comprometida con esto y eso es lo que hace que uno siga.Quien sabe por cuanto esta mujer habra tenido que pasar para lograr lo que estamos viendo, pero siento que bien vivido, las experiencias que uno puede vivir y sentir en busca de estas imagenes es a mi parecer incomparable y de mucho valor.

Esta la tome en la exhibicion/this one I took on the exhibit:



Since the moment I saw her work I was sold. Don't know how, where and when... but her vision and talent was something I haven't seen in so long.

Cristina Garcia Rodero's exhibit at the Circulo de Bellas Artes is just amazing!!! Transtempo is the title of this exhibit.
I just can't describe the emotion I felt when I saw her photographs right there in front of me. From just seeing them on the internet to see it live...was amazing..
The size of the photographs (including the frame was around 44 x 32 inches) gave the importance it deserved and above all it gave her subjects the place they deserved.
She spent decades documenting pagan feasts as well as catholic celebrations all across Spain but mainly in Galicia. Very few photographers assume and take on such responsibility; she was determined with it and I feel this is what makes you continue. Who knows what she went through to accomplish what we are looking at now, whatever it was I think she feels in complete ( maybe not). The experiences one can gain in the search for moments like this is not comparable to anything.

Llegada

(((I will write this post both in Spanish and English since I have friends who only speak one of the two languages and I want everyone to understand me)))


Y pasaron Los Dias y ya estoy aqui. La orientation de la Fulbright fue muy interesante, conoci gente que ha venido con muchas pilas y deseosos de empezar sus proyectos y/o clases.

Days passed by and I am here now. Fulbright's orientation was very interesting, I got to meet people who has a lot to give and excited to start on their projects and/ or classes.

Fueron 3 Dias que pasaron de tranquilos y algo relajados a intensos y llenos de información.
It was 3 days that went from very nice and relaxing to intense and full of information.

Había Gente de todo lados de EEUU y de diferentes backgrounds y esto es lo que hace mas interesante esta orientación, y la meta de la fundación también, de tener gente en diferentes ámbitos y que tengan una diversidad de intereses.

There was people from all part of the United States and from different professional backgrounds and this is what makes this orientation more interesting as well it reaches the foundation's objective, having people who all together are rich in diversity and who have different interests.

En lo personal, yo recién he caído en cuenta que estoy aquí y que voy a hacer algo que me apasiona que es la fotografía. Una oportunidad así me hace sentirme mas segura de que estoy llendo por un buen camino y que lo que hago es valorado por otras personas y que les interesa mi punto de vista hacia ciertas realidades y mi percepción de ellas.

From my personal standpoint, I just sort of accept that I am here and I am going to do something that I feel passionate about which is photography. An opportunity like this makes me feel that I am going the right way, what I do means something to others and they are interested in my point of view about certain topics and my perception about them.

Ya llevo 6 días en Madrid y me parece increíble, es una ciudad tan diversa y que tiene tanto que ofrecer y se que lo aprovechare al máximo.

I've been in Madrid for 6 days and it feels incredible, it is such a diverse city and it has so much to offer and I will fully take advantage of it.