“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.
20. De la nada, una sonrisa / From nowhere, a smile
Picture 20 of 24
After many days had passed, we found a temporary place. The wait was long, but always, the smile on my daughter’s face would erase the frustration and despair of this continuing way of life. When looking at shelters from the outside, people cannot know what goes on inside, what families have to suffer and endure. There were times when my children heard hurtful words, reproaches, despair, and anguish. The baby spent her first three years with much stress, sadness, fights, rules, and unstable housing. But that did not take away her smile and she remains the HAPPY FACE for the whole family, and for everyone who knew her in those circumstances.
—Lucero
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 |
