Photo-Activismo
Creating cultural awareness and social justice through photography
What is Photo-Activismo?
Photo-Activismo is a way to use photography to acknowledge the work and effort of those who are constantly fighting for the construction of a better world for all, and to raise awareness about issues of social justice through photographs.
Los Longos del Barrio
A Portrait Project About Ecuadorian Immigration Over a two-year period, I photographed Ecuadorian immigrants from my hometown of Cuenca, Ecuador, who live in New York. This project aims to raise awareness about the role immigrants play in the societies where they live, and to create a window into their humanity and life stories.
About "LOS LONGOS DEL BARRIO"
(Versión en Español)
Los Longos del Barrio
Retratos fotográficos de la Migración Ecuatoriana
Este proyecto fotográfico busca narrar, a través de los rostros, la historia de muchos ecuatorianos migrantes que viven hoy en la ciudad de Nueva York. La mayoría de personas fotografiadas durante la primera etapa de este proyecto, corresponden a muchos de mis amigos y familiares, quienes como yo, dejamos nuestros pueblos y familia en el Ecuador hace algunas décadas en busca de una mejor oportunidad en los Estados Unidos.
Durante nuestra adolescencia en el Ecuador constantemente éramos identificados como “longos de barrio” por sectores de la sociedad, que por su color de piel más claro, su estatus social, y económico, discriminaban e imponían su superioridad racial y de clase sobre la nuestra. Por ello, “Los Longos del Barrio” es un proyecto que busca reivindicar nuestra identidad (logos) y visibilizar nuestra existencia e influencia (barrio) en la sociedad, aún desde nuestra condición como sujetos migrantes.
Como migrante, y como alguien que experimentó los embates del vivir indocumentado, creo que a través de este proyecto fotográfico se pueden abrir diálogos con la comunidad respecto de las complejidades de la migración Ecuatoriana a los Estados Unidos.
Además, con este proyecto, busco crear puentes de reencuentro con aquellos que hace mucho tiempo dejamos nuestro país.
——
Estos son los nombres de los amigos y familiares de mi pueblo quienes migraron a los Estados Unidos entre los años 1990’s y 2000. Aún faltan muchos más.
Jorge T., Rodrigo N., Beatriz B., Ana N., Miguel B., Nube N., Blanca N., Iban M., Sonia R., Galo R., Edgar Y., Oswaldo M., Geovany B., Fabian R., Milton Y., Fredy B., Freddy M., Cristian P., Wilmer, Orlando T., Graciela B., Rafael B., Juan Carlos A., Luis T., Patricio T., Eduardo N., Augusto S., Irma S., Vinicio T., Octavio R., Vilma Q, Fernando M., Herman M., Pablo V., Tito S., Raquel P., Italo V., Henry V., Mauricio T., Angelita T., Fausto Y., Teresa Y., Marlene T., Lucia B., Soila B., Vinicio B., Manuel B., Blanca C., Jacinto P., Milton M., Lucia M., Yolanda, Eduardo B., Jose Luis T., Samuel M., Iban R., Sonia M., Geovani M., Ricardo Zh., Jorge Zh., Nicolas, Juan Carlos A., Oswaldo A., Rodrigo P., Manuel P., Pablo S., Augusto S., Patricio M., Celso Zh., Juan T., Jorge T., Marco Zh., Pablo P., Henry P., Norma Q., Sonia M., Gladis M…
(English version)
Los Longos del Barrio
A Portrait Project About Ecuadorian Immigration
This project attempts to tell a story through images about the life of many Ecuadorian immigrants living in New York. The majority of the people portrayed in the first part of this project are friends and relatives of mine who, like me, left our hometowns and families in Ecuador a few decades ago to seek better opportunities in the U.S. In our youth in Ecuador, we were often pejoratively called "los longos del barrio"- roughly translated as "the crud of the neighborhood" - by people who believed they were superior because of their class and race. I would like to reclaim this phrase “Los Longos del Barrio” as a way of asserting our existence and identity through this project of portraits.
As an immigrant myself, who was once undocumented, I believe that through this project, I will be able to open up a dialogue about the complexities of being an immigrant in this country, especially while undocumented.
With this project, I believe I can create a bridge between those who, decades ago, left our home country and never got the opportunity to see each other again.
——
These are some the names of my friends and family members from my community who migrate to the United States between the years 1990’s and 2000. I know that I am missing many more of them.
Jorge T., Rodrigo N., Beatriz B., Ana N., Miguel B., Nube N., Blanca N., Iban M., Sonia R., Galo R., Edgar Y., Oswaldo M., Geovany B., Fabian R., Milton Y., Fredy B., Freddy M., Cristian P., Wilmer, Orlando T., Graciela B., Rafael B., Juan Carlos A., Luis T., Patricio T., Eduardo N., Augusto S., Irma S., Vinicio T., Octavio R., Vilma Q, Fernando M., Herman M., Pablo V., Tito S., Raquel P., Italo V., Henry V., Mauricio T., Angelita T., Fausto Y., Teresa Y., Marlene T., Lucia B., Soila B., Vinicio B., Manuel B., Blanca C., Jacinto P., Milton M., Lucia M., Yolanda, Eduardo B., Jose Luis T., Samuel M., Iban R., Sonia M., Geovani M., Ricardo Zh., Jorge Zh., Nicolas, Juan Carlos A., Oswaldo A., Rodrigo P., Manuel P., Pablo S., Augusto S., Patricio M., Celso Zh., Juan T., Jorge T., Marco Zh., Pablo P., Henry P., Norma Q., Sonia M., Gladis M…
Brattleboro-Activism
Photographs taken during different rallies and strikes in Brattleboro, Vermont.
On the Way
Photographs capturing life's special moments.
Portraits
About me
My name is Marco Yunga Tacuri. I am an Ecuadorian, an immigrant, a teacher, an anthropologist, a musician, a carpenter, the father of two beautiful kids, and the partner of a wonderful and talented woman.
Because of financial hardship for my family, in the year 2000, I traveled from Ecuador to Mexico and crossed the US-Mexican border on foot, through the desert, with a coyote. I lived in New York undocumented for five years, until deciding to move back to Ecuador in 2005.
Always fascinated with different cultures, including my own, I pursued and received an MA in anthropology from the University of Lethrbidge in Alberta Canada. I later returned to Ecuador, and in 2014, my family and I moved from Ecuador to Brattleboro, Vermont in the United States.
Since moving to Brattleboro, I have mostly worked as a teacher with kids from toddler-age to high schoolers. Through teaching, I have explored, learned about, and integrated into this new culture, society, and country. As an immigrant, I cannot think of a better way to immerse myself into this culture, which is completely different from the Ecuadorian one I left a couple thousands miles away.
I live surrounded by an amazing community of friends, talented artists, farmers, intellectuals, and activists . I participate in local rallies and social events as an activist-photographer.
I have developed a passion for photography as I find it is a way to creatively express emotions and portray realities that can so often be missed. I use photography to bring awareness to social justice issues and to break stereotypes. My hope is that the photographs bring about a curiosity to learn more and a deeper understanding of the realities of our time.
Because of financial hardship for my family, in the year 2000, I traveled from Ecuador to Mexico and crossed the US-Mexican border on foot, through the desert, with a coyote. I lived in New York undocumented for five years, until deciding to move back to Ecuador in 2005.
Always fascinated with different cultures, including my own, I pursued and received an MA in anthropology from the University of Lethrbidge in Alberta Canada. I later returned to Ecuador, and in 2014, my family and I moved from Ecuador to Brattleboro, Vermont in the United States.
Since moving to Brattleboro, I have mostly worked as a teacher with kids from toddler-age to high schoolers. Through teaching, I have explored, learned about, and integrated into this new culture, society, and country. As an immigrant, I cannot think of a better way to immerse myself into this culture, which is completely different from the Ecuadorian one I left a couple thousands miles away.
I live surrounded by an amazing community of friends, talented artists, farmers, intellectuals, and activists . I participate in local rallies and social events as an activist-photographer.
I have developed a passion for photography as I find it is a way to creatively express emotions and portray realities that can so often be missed. I use photography to bring awareness to social justice issues and to break stereotypes. My hope is that the photographs bring about a curiosity to learn more and a deeper understanding of the realities of our time.
Social Media- coming soon!
Contact
- Brattleboro, Vermont, United States