On the importance of who is behind the lens
Verónica G. Cárdenas |
TEDxMcAllen
• November 2019
After a life-changing car accident, Verónica G. Cárdenas left her job and chased her life passion of becoming a photographer. Challenged with building her portfolio, she embarked on a project to photograph the journey that many migrants use to travel from Honduras to the United States. She jumped on La Bestia, a network of Mexican freight trains that are utilized by U.S.- bound migrants to more quickly traverse the length of Mexico. It is estimated that yearly between 400,000 and 500,000 migrants, the majority of whom are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, ride atop these trains in an effort to reach the United States. Verónica’s photos portray asylum seekers more humanely, helping her audience to see the more subtle aspects of their lives. She challenges the photography industry to employ more diversity behind the lens. Her work has been featured in major publications like The New York Times, TIME Magazine, and The Texas Tribune.