An Introduction to the Castellana Family
These photographs were taken of my family from February to April 2004 in Stockton, CA with a medium format camera. This project chronicles my family's current state of transition. They are moving from a rundown, working-class neighborhood to a more upscale, gated community. The problem lies not with the home they currently live in, as my step-dad built it himself, but in the neighborhood and its dilapidation and crime.
Emotionally, this is a time of immense struggle and hope. Currently, my mom works two jobs, as a bartender and model home salesperson. My step-dad is a truck driver who has been out of work because of a prolonged case of appendicitis and the death of his father. There is such an intense drive to move towards bigger and better things, but it is an uphill battle. The strain of dealing with a move and everyday life is difficult and I wanted to capture that sentiment. With the heartache comes immense hope and excitement for something new.
It seems that theirs is a universal struggle; they are trying to attain a better life, to give their children something more than what they currently have. I just could not pass up the opportunity to show how hard it is to reach for the American Dream.
