Chicago at Night: Colorful Reflection of the City in the Chicago River, 2013
I was born and raised in Chile, South America. The Photovoice Project has been a great experience, a very important event in my life.
Every picture taken during the duration of the project allowed me to understand and know much better the city of Chicago, where I have lived for a good number of years now. I have learned about similarities and differences with my hometown, Santiago, the capital of Chile.
I have been able to appreciate many things that we take for granted:
- the beauty of the Chicago River and of Lake Michigan,
- the marvelous architecture of downtown buildings (old and new),
- the diversity of this city: people from all over the world
But I could also see poverty, homelessness, beggars and people demonstrating against this injustice.
The picture entitled “Chicago at Night,” showing the Chicago River, was selected because it has most of what I have just described, but also the water that gives me peace and tranquility; the lights and the reflection in the river symbolizing that there is life at night and it will be at the following day; the boats and the flow of the water means that there is also movement, life; the marvelous colors reflecting in the river give me hope in searching for a better life.
As an immigrant, living in exile, and as a torture survivor, this experience has been for me a part of my journey in my healing process.
In the online exhibit Picturing a New Life in Chicago, people who were forced to flee their home countries because of war, persecution or violence share photos and inspiring stories about adjusting to a new life here. Some of the photographers came to Chicago through a refugee resettlement program. Others sought political asylum. Learn more in Online Exhibit: Forced Migration Photovoice Project.
