- Proyecto -

Dotted Line: Marked by la Frontera is a photo-memoir book that weaves together the diverse stories of the people whose lives are influenced by the El Paso/Juárez border on a daily basis, and the stories of two young Latina woman with diverse backgrounds who explore what the border represents for them in this current political climate. Laura, a DACAmented Colombian young woman and Chantelle, a first-generation American born young woman with Bolivian roots, take off their activist hats and return to El Paso to use the power of storytelling as a vehicle to continue to amplify the voices of those of us impacted by the "dotted line".

- Why? -

These days, the media has a lot to say about what it means to be Latinx in the U.S., and what it means to be part of the immigrant community- our community. It's a political issue. It's a social issue. It's an economic issue. And the primary stage for this conversation is the "dotted line" between Mexico & U.S.

There are so many narratives that have been fed about us in the last year. And we think it's important for the narratives to come directly from the diverse voices of the Latinx immigrant community. Every perspective counts, and this project is an effort to continue the amplification of them all.

— Pero, why El Paso? —

We are returning to El Paso to strengthen our deeply rooted relationships with community partners that we've worked with in the past, and to learn, explore, and share the stories of the people whose everyday environment is influenced by the "dotted line".

We started building relationships with the community of El Paso in 2014 and haven't looked back. We felt right at home in the border city. El Paso is a mezcla of two-ends of the spectrum - English & Spanish, cumbias & country music, tacos & hamburgers. It felt like us, and we immediately began to bond with all of the individuals we met along the way.

For those of us who don't live in a border city, it can be very difficult to conceptualize the image and the presence of a 1,954 mile long border. President Trump talks about building a wall. Well, it already exists. The border varies in shape, size and landscape throughout the country, but the message the U.S. is sending is clear: We don't want you.

Hundreds of people cross the "dotted line" every single day through the different ports of entry in the city. Some cross to attend school, report to work, find deals at a specific department store, or some have crossed decades ago and live with the "dotted line" as a daily reminder of what they have lost and gained since they crossed. It is the stories of these individuals we want to bring to you.