108 Calle Hidalgo
Calmecac Gallery
Chicago, IL
March 12th 2010
I was adopted when I was three weeks old from an orphanage in Celaya, Mexico, called Hogar del Pobre. Hogar is run by twelve nuns, and provides a home for approximately one hundred children. Some of the children who live at the orphanage are not orphans, rather, they are staying there due to family troubles or low income. The orphanage provides many opportunities for the children, in addition to housing, clothing and food. The donation-based orphanage provides a space for children and young adults who would otherwise not have a home. Throughout my childhood I was connected to the orphanage because my mother, Elvira, takes part in translating for many families from the United States who are undertaking the adoption process, and maintaining communication with the Madres in Celaya. In May of 2007 I traveled to the orphanage on my own, and stayed for two weeks as part of my Senior project in high school. For the past three years I have gone back frequently, and have formed a unique relationship with the orphanage, the children, and the nuns. I have made a variety of friends in Celaya, and I now consider them a second family.
108 Calle Hidalgo is a print series based on the photographs that I have taken at Hogar Del Pobre over the past three years. The children of the orphanage amaze me each time I go. The sadness that I see in their eyes is contrasted by their optimism and bright outlook on life. When visiting the orphanage I am overwhelmed by mixed emotions, ranging from sadness and frustration at seeing the children abandoned and left with nothing, to happiness when I see these children interacting as a family. Although they are underprivileged, the children at Hogar express such optimism that it is truly inspiring.
In my high school years I volunteered at Casa Aztlan, helping in the after school program, and it immediately came to mind - I thought that it would be the perfect place for my show. Casa Aztlan reminds me very much of the orphanage; although there are great differences there are many similarities. Casa Aztlan serves the less-privileged, hard-working people in their community. The many programs organized to assist these people offer great opportunities for the children of the community. Casa Aztlan provides a place for the children of the Latino community in Pilsen to learn that there are more options in their lives. The parallel missions of these two places, Hogar del Pobre in Celaya, Mexico, and Casa Aztlan in Chicago, Illinois, which both provide a very unique experience for Mexican children, make Casa Aztlan the ideal place for me to present these prints.
gallery view
Vicky and Miguelito
Niños
Cristinita
the boys
Beto y Bebito
Gorety
