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A Closer Look at the Migrant Shelters in Tijuana
by Rebecca Mizrahi
July 31, 2019
Rebecca Mizrahi is a Freelance Photographer based in Los Angeles. You can see more of her work here.
Migration has been a constant across the world and throughout history. With the increased politicization of immigration in the United States, a true humanitarian crisis has emerged on both sides of the U.S. and Mexican borders. A day spent visiting shelters in Tijuana provided an intimate setting to hear first hand stories about the violence, poverty and persecution that compels migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to leave their homes and risk everything for a chance at a new life in the United States. Most obvious in people’s stories is a sense of grief and loss, ongoing fear and uncertainty about what’s to come, and a tremendous longing for a safe, secure future. These images are from a day in the life.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
The “double” border wall is visible from a bus in Tijuana. Non-profit volunteer organization, Border Angels estimates that since 1994, about 10,000 people have died in their attempt to cross the border. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 7,216 people have died crossing the U.S–Mexico border between 1998 and 2017. Conflicting estimates.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
Malecon, Playas de Tijuana. The border wall stretches into the Ocean but does not stop families from meeting to talk and pass notes to each other on either side. Although recent efforts seek to prevent this from continuing to happen.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
One of many “missing” in Tijuana, one of the largest border metropolises in the world. It is not uncommon for male and female migrants to become trapped in the sex trade, with very few options to survive while they wait for asylum.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
New tents, clothing and food provided by This is About Humanity. Name of shelter is concealed to protect asylum seekers fleeing violence/ persecution.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
Donated blankets used for padding in lieu of mattresses.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
Children’s vitamins and prenatal pills sit atop a makeshift office in the center of the shelter.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
Child watches as new tents are set up and old blankets are removed, a bottle of medicine and a plastic spoon beside her.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
A family watches as the shelter is overturned by volunteers trying to clean up after heavy rains.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
Diapers, a few toys and a math book show the simplest accumulation of items for a migrating family. Children have no way to attend school while moving from shelter to shelter and can go anywhere from a few months to several years without formal education.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
In 2018, Casa Cornelia Law Center responded to 883 adult asylum seekers in need, and 876 unaccompanied children.
© Rebecca Mizrahi
According to Casa Cornelia, about 90% of asylum seekers without an attorney are denied, but almost half of those with representation are successful. As of mid-2018, over 700,000 asylum cases remained open, with new applicants applying each day.
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Roger Steffens' Vietnam, Part 1
by Roger Steffens
April 26, 2018
Roger Steffens, an introduction
I landed in Vietnam on November 9, 1967, and I went from the Bien Hoa Air Base into Saigon for my assignment. As we approached the city this was the first major billboard that greeted us.
December 1967
March 1968
January 1968
One of the places I really wanted to work was in Hue, the old imperial capital in the central part of the country, and it had a devastating attack that was the subject of Full Metal Jacket. I went up there with my friend Robin who was helping me raise food and clothing from the states. He was from Ohio and worked in a big federated department store and they sent an awful lot of clothing to us for our refugee campaign. In this shot, Robin and Thich Nhat Tien, the chief buddhist social worker in Vietnam are in the ruins of a Buddhist temple in Hue. It was said that 89% of the city was destroyed in the three week intense battle of Hue.
Whenever possible we tried to work with the Vietnamese Army and their own Civic Action Troops and we did several Dent Cap and Med Cap events over the years and that meant dental work and medical work, free medical examinations and free work on peoples teeth and this is at the Phu Lam Taoist Temple where we did a lot of work over the years.
July 1968
July 1968
This is at the end of our first year in Vietnam. Jim Hocker, Al Clobridge, myself, and Rich Kinney. The four of us were together in the Defense Information School and in the Psy Ops School and all assigned to Psy Ops in Vietnam. Poor Rich, the guy on the right got sent out to i-corps up around Da Nang. He was wounded. A piece of shrapnel hit him in the leg, so he got a Purple Heart. The other three of us remained at the group head quarters in Saigon, which was a much safer place for the most part. This is when we were all going back to the states for a month long leave at the end of our time.