Maria and I collaborated to make this book possible in Spring 2014. I was studying U.S. border relations in Tuscon, Arizona. I volunteered for Corazon de Tucson and Maria was an active member. Corazon de Tucson was led undocumented parents, mostly mothers, to support each other as they lived under close watch of ICE and the police.
Maria and I gravitated towards one another and quickly became friends. As we worked together, we discussed motherhood, Mexican diversity, love, Spanish and mixed status families. As I was preparing to return back home I wanted to leave something useful behind. If anything were to happen to her, this photo book could serve as a physical representation of who she is and her dedication to Tucson.
The separation of and attacks on families strip people of their humanity and our connectedness. Photos are able to transcend the limiting binaries of good or bad and documented versus undocumented. These photographs are of her resilience, strength and dedication to equitable education.
