South Coast 9.14: Cultural Onvoy

Welcome to the Cultural Photography Project!

I have been working with this project for several months, and yet i still needed some people from Africa and Asia. I was planning to take these pictures in different locations, but i had no car, so it was difficult for me to move into one place to another. So i just decided to stay in one place!

I hope you enjoy this mini project and if you don't feel satisfy of my work, I don't mind. I never ever taken a professional semester photography class, I learned every technique as possible for my own. Everyone's work is unique and i call it work of art and Creativity. Also, i will always support other photographers... no matter what, but i do and always will.

*This project is about culture, to get a long with every culture out there. To stop racism, to give hope, to have opportunities, to stop bullying and having freedom. Also to compare these images to the Vogue, teen etc.. magazines. Not to make them skinny or Photoshop their True beauty.

My name is Claudia Reyes, i am 19 years old. I am originally from Trujillo, Peru. I was practically raised in united states and i have Spanish race as well because of my 2 grandfathers from my parents both sides. I have never been to Spain! but is my dream to go soon. possibly in 2 years. Since i have family there, then i can have that opportunity to learn my other side of the culture. when i started to grow and hitting into the teenage life, i started to struggle a lot with many school subjects, i never knew why, but suddenly i stopped paying attention and even if i tried my hardest, i would end up failing. I am overly stressed and i get pale that i have no energy to stand. I also have scoliosis which is a problem in my spine, but no matter what the pain in my body i still keep going and never quit on Education. I love education like no other, i struggle with my grammar because i tend to mix up many things in my mind, since i had the problem to stop paying attention. I am not going to lie, this year i did a lot of better in College. I got all A's, i have never been so content in my life. Now this semester is starting and i am thrilled to finish my associates in Social Work! I know a lot of my friends are way ahead of me, getting good grades, living by their own, but that doesn't stop me to keep going... Because i know i have a potential in the future. I thank first of all to my father in heaven, my parents and my Religion. With out these trials, things, i would of quit for completely. It came to a conclusion that i wasn't frighten anymore from the horrible past that i had when i was a little girl, i tend to erased those images off my head. . . and i am truly blessed for this huge opportunity living in America.

SPAIN

WELCOME MY BEAUTIFUL MODELS. . . .

I'm Alicia Ruiz Hernandez, I have 19 years old, and I am from Chihuahua, Mexico. I look back, and to say that I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints, i had experience a good life in mexico, thanks to my parents we left economic and it was sometimes difficult to get ahead, but in spite of that we were Happy. Because of the violence and the lack of jobs in Mexico, we decided to live in the United States, something very difficult for me at first because I had finished high school and had done an exam in one of the best universities in chihuahua, to be a teacher. Days past, I was accepted into college. I wasn't expecting this big surprise, but that was it, I could not take this opportunity because i had to be in the United states.I knew it wouldn't be so easy to study here as I have to strive to obtain that profession, English can be a tricky language than that I thought, So i need to work hard to earn money to pay my school and so much more, but my heavenly Father will help me do that and he will bless me to make that effort. It's good to build a future in this land, live in peace, and obeying the commandments, but for me it is more important to build a future for eternity in the celestial kingdom.

MEXICO

Casual

My name is Liz Rojas, I was born in Chiclayo, Peru on December 21. On February 14, 2001 my parents and I moved to the United States. As a little girl I grew up struggling to learn a new language and keeping up academically with my peers. Through the years my way of dealing to the situations and events around me was to binge. It started out in small ways, some that I didn't even notice, but over the years I started to notice I was becoming over-weight for my age, and I always felt uncomfortable in social settings. The summer before freshman year at high school I took the worst decision of my life. I began starving myself by only eating 1/10 of normal calorie intake a day and exercising 2-3 hours daily. Over the period of 3 months I lost +40 pounds, and I was having health problems, I was suffering from anorexia. It took months for me to come back to reality and with the help of my parents, leaders and friends I got healthier before the situation got any worse. Its not easy sharing a moment that was so critical in my life but I know how it feels, the pressure of the world, your peers, the media to surround you and try to mold you unto their image of "beauty" but the truth is...you are the only one like you and no one can be more beautiful than what you already are. Over the years I've matured and grown in ways I couldn't have imagined and I am eternally grateful for my family, friends, leaders, educators and my faith, because through all these years everyone taught me something and helped me through the ups and downs of the teenage years.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.”

- Robert Frost

PERU

Casual

You can take me out of India but you can't take India out of me. Moving to the states when I was just five years old was a life changing event! Going from a place that was so familiar and what I called home and being thrown into a pool of new faces, surroundings and languages was quite the challenge but I took that fear and culture shock and created a strength that I have used time after time, obstacle after obstacle. Even though I live the American lifestyle outside, when I step through the doors of my home, I'm living the Indian lifestyle with typical Indian food, the Hindi language being spoken and heard on tv and enjoying the best of both worlds. Yes, being raised with the Indian culture has made some things difficult for me but every challenge makes me a stronger person and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm Sahiba Bedi and I can honestly say I am proud to be an Indian.

INDIA

My name is Maxi Ratto. As someone who came to the United States at the age of 6, all I ever known was the culture I was exposed to living here. I thank God everyday that my parents we’re crazy enough to leave their homeland and move to a completely different country. As a result of that, I am extremely blessed to have the opportunities I have here in the states. My dream is one day to become a filmmaker/actor and have my own production company. This is one dream challenging enough to achieve in the states, I can only imagine how tough it must be back in Argentina. We’ve had to sacrifice the moments and memories we’ve missed by not being back home with our families. But the ones I created here and the freedom I experience, is completely worth it!

Argentina