HomeRecent NewsPhoto Project Shows Human Side Of DACA Debate

Photo Project Shows Human Side Of DACA Debate

November 27, 2017

With continued uncertainty about the future of the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, a community art project recently stopped at the University of Nevada, Reno, to highlight the issue.

Paolo Ramos of the Inside Out Dreamers Project (left) and Precious Gbenjo, ASUN’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion (right) prepare for a press conference on the steps of the Knowledge Center. CREDIT: Natalie Van Hoozer
Paolo Ramos of the Inside Out Dreamers Project (left) and Precious Gbenjo, ASUN’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion (right) prepare for a press conference on the steps of the Knowledge Center. CREDIT: Natalie Van Hoozer

The Inside Out Dreamers Project aims to show solidarity with so-called Dreamers by letting community members take their pictures in a photo booth truck. The images are then pasted on the sidewalk for all to see.

The event, held earlier this month, included a press conference where local DACA recipients and community organizers discussed the DREAM Act, which would offer protection to undocumented young immigrants vulnerable to deportation.

UNR’s Social Service Coordinator Jahahi Mazariego speaks about her family’s experience with deportation. CREDIT: Dalyn Cooke
UNR’s Social Service Coordinator Jahahi Mazariego speaks about her family’s experience with deportation. CREDIT: Dalyn Cooke
One of the project’s organizers is Paola Ramos.

At UNR specifically it’s been great. There’s been a lot of families, a lot of kids, a lot of students, teachers, faculty members and everyone’s really excited because I think that they understand that, in this campus specifically, there’s a lot of undocumented students, there’s a lot of teachers and allies that support their students,” she said. “Everyone is American, and that’s the point that we’re trying to make.”

The project will be moving on to other states including Utah, Arizona, and Texas, stopping in over 30 cities.

Community members gather around the photo booth truck, waiting to have their photos taken. CREDIT: Dalyn Cooke
Community members gather around the photo booth truck, waiting to have their photos taken. CREDIT: Dalyn Cooke

Congress has a limited window of time to determine the fate of the program, and a group of conservative attorneys general says DACA was an abuse of presidential power during the Obama administration.

This report was produced in partnership with NPR member station Reno Public Radio, KUNR 88.7 FM.

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Natalie Van Hoozer

Natalie is a freelance journalist and translator based in Reno, Nevada who reports in English and Spanish. She also works for the nonprofit SembraMedia, supporting independent, digital Spanish-language media in the United States. Previously she was a Fulbright scholar in Argentina and worked on Latin American projects at the International Center for Journalists. She has also taught university podcasting classes online and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in both journalism and Spanish from the University of Nevada, Reno. For her undergraduate thesis, she researched the landscape of bilingual Spanish-English reporting in the state of California. -- Natalie es periodista y traductora freelance en Reno, Nevada y trabaja en español e inglés. También es embajadora para SembraMedia en Estados Unidos, donde investiga medios independientes y digitales en español en el país. Antes era becaria de Fulbright en la Argentina y trabajé como asistente de programas para el Centro Internacional para Periodistas, enfocada en los proyectos de América Latina. También ha sido profesora universitaria en línea sobre podcasting. Tiene una licenciatura de la Universidad de Nevada, Reno, en periodismo y español. Para la tesis de su licenciatura investigó el ámbito del periodismo bilingüe en inglés y español en el estado de California. Twitter: @NatVanH