DIASPORAS
The documentary photography project Diasporas takes place in the emblematic San Roque market, located in the heart of Quito, Ecuador. This space, which functions as a cultural and economic meeting point, becomes the perfect setting to portray the complex realities of indigenous migrations from the countryside to the city. Through documentary photography, this project seeks to make visible the multiple social implications that indigenous communities face when they leave their ancestral territories and enter an urban environment that is foreign to them and, in many cases, hostile.
The phenomenon of indigenous migration to the cities is not recent, but it has intensified in recent decades due to factors such as the lack of opportunities in the countryside, land dispossession, poverty and the search for better living conditions. However, this displacement not only implies a geographical change, but also a profound cultural uprooting. Indigenous communities arriving in Quito, and in particular in the San Roque market, are confronted with a system that has historically denied them their place in society, perpetuating structures of exclusion, racism and cultural domination.
This video captures the life of Celinda, a strong and resilient woman who works in the market. After a long time, she agreed to share her story, allowing me to record her day-to-day life, her struggles and her dreams. Through intimate and emotional images, the video shows Celinda's dedication, her connection to the market and her community, and the stories behind her smile.
It is an honest and respectful portrait that not only celebrates her life, but also honors all people who, like her, build their world from effort and dignity. A visual testimony that invites us to reflect on the lives that often go unnoticed, but are at the heart of our everyday spaces.
The Diasporas project addresses these issues from a critical perspective, exploring how uprooting affects the identity of indigenous peoples and nationalities. Through images that capture the daily life of indigenous vendors, merchants and families in the market, it reveals the tensions between the preservation of their traditions and the need to adapt to an urban environment that imposes new social and economic dynamics.
In addition, the project delves into the historical structure of cultural domination that has marked the relationship between the Ecuadorian State and the indigenous peoples. From colonization to the present, public policies and social practices have perpetuated a system that marginalizes and dispossesses indigenous communities of their rights, lands and culture. In the cities, this domination manifests itself in subtle but profound forms, such as daily racism, labor discrimination and the invisibilization of their cultural contributions.
Diasporas seeks not only to document these realities, but also to generate a collective reflection on the need to build societies that are more inclusive and respectful of cultural diversity. The photographs captured in the San Roque market are a testimony to the resistance and resilience of the indigenous communities, who, despite the adversities, continue to struggle to keep their identity and traditions alive in an adverse urban context.
In short, this project is an invitation to look beyond stereotypes and prejudices, to recognize the humanity and dignity of those who have been historically excluded. Through documentary photography, Diasporas becomes a bridge between the countryside and the city, between the past and the present, and between exclusion and the hope for a more just future for all the peoples and nationalities of Ecuador.