The Exhibit

“An American Dream?” is the work of eight amazing women who met, learned, cried, laughed and worked together to produce powerful portraits of courage and resiliency. These photographs and narratives are organized around themes that the group found it important to address in their research: the living conditions that families are forced to endure, their impact on health and well-being, fear of eviction and ending up on the streets, the fires and displacement occurring in the Mission, resiliency and hope, and potential changes and solutions.

1. Respirando aire puro / Breathing fresh air

1. Respirando aire puro / Breathing fresh air
Picture 1 of 24

In this photo, my husband was taking the opportunity to open the garage door so that we can have some fresh air in our home. Because we were fearful that the neighbors would realize that we were housed illegally, we only opened the door for a few minutes. We could not stand the smell of humidity and mosquitoes. This was the reality of our housing conditions. My family and I slipped often because the cement floor remained constantly wet. We had to be very careful when walking around. My daughter felt frustrated because she wasn’t allowed to play when the ground was slippery. The drip of the water heater was dirty and created an unpleasant smell. Because there are limited resources for families who had been evicted, like us, we had to put up with this living situation. In the end, living in a garage was a better choice than living in a car. I think there should be more funding for subsidized housing in order to help homeless families. In addition, there must be greater news coverage of how the high cost of rent is causing homelessness.

—Deyser


PhotoVoice Exhibit Credits

CASAH-SF Team
 
Ada Alvarado
Karen Cohn
Shivaun Nestor
Laura Olivas
Dairo Romero
Exhibition Volunteers
 
Leticia Contreras
Lili Dominguez
Margarita Herrera
Cynthia Melgoza
Lucia Obregón
Liliana Ocegueda
Sarah Saavedra
Community Partners
 
Felton House
 
Homeless Prenatal Program
 
Mujeres Unidas y Activas
 
Good Samaritan Family Resource Centers
Additional Funding From
 
First5 San Francisco
 
San Francisco Public Health Foundation
Special Thanks To:
 
Ana Alfaro
Alison Bell
Ayanna Bennett
Serena Chuong
Carmen Campuzano
Karoleen Feng
Barbara Garcia
Christopher Gil
Mary Hansell
Alicia Leon Jhong
Laurel Koomak
Edward Mamary
Melissa Martin
Joshua Nossiter
Liliana Ocegueda
Nancy Sarieh
Dawn Surratt
Samy’s Camera (John, Neko, Troy, & Yesica)
Bertha Villalobos