Author: NAYDELINE MEJIA

To: Jenna Mahale, i-D Contributor, <[email protected]>

From: Naydeline Mejia, <[email protected]>

Hey Jenna,

I hope this email finds you well.

It’s been a bit since we’ve been in touch. I hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy during these difficult times. 

I apologize for never getting back to you with a workshopped pitch on that story idea I had about digital costume designers––life got a bit hectic. Nevertheless, I am reaching out today because I have an exciting feature story in mind that I think you and the i-D team might be interested in instead! 

I want to spotlight a talented New York City based photographer by the name of Alberto who is documenting the “real” New York through sharp, poignant portrait photography. 

During the large wave of Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the U.S. this past June, as a response to the murder of George Floyd, Alberto captured several images of a protest in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan that quickly garnered viral attention. The images, which show a moment of solidarity between Haitian- and Dominican-Americans, even caught the attention of some prominent celebrities such as Cardi B who reposted some of the images on her own social media channels. The Haitian and Dominican flags, neighboring countries that have long had a hostile relationship due to the existing anti-Blackness in the Dominican Republic, are pictured together as a symbol of two conflicting countries coming together to fight against an issue that affects all Black people no matter their ethnicity: police brutality. 

I believe this would be a great fit for i-D because the publication has spotlighted up-and-coming photographers in the past as a large part of the i-D mission is shining a light on underground artists in the U.K. and abroad. I have done similar features in the past––this one specifically reminds me of the i-D voice and style––and I would love to be able to converse and work with more creatives to develop similar stories. 

I am envisioning around 800 words for this feature in which I will ask Alberto about his creative process, why he has chosen portraiture as his creative medium, what has been the impact of the viral photo to his career and, subsequently, what have been his experiences with anti-Blackness in the Dominican community. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my pitch, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,

Naydeline

The South Bronx Mutual Aid Program Providing Sustainable Solutions to An Unsustainable Issue (Medium)

For some reason the photos are showing up a bit blurred on the Medium site, so here’s a folder with the high-res images.

Can’t wait to hear your feedback!

I had been trying to watch the noon press briefing for the last two days, but whenever I would access the website at noon EST to watch, some other meeting would be taking place. This noon EST, instead of the press briefing, a Security Council meeting was in the middle of taking place to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. During the meeting, representatives from Germany, South Africa, and Yemen commented on the crisis and offered their expert opinions. The current president of the Security Council, a representative of the Russian Federation, was moderating the meeting. 

The moderator, through a translator, discussed how humanitarian assistance has been offered to Yemen with some issues. She spoke about Russia offering assistance to Yemen as well as the highly valued role the Red Cross has been playing in aiding Yemenis citizens affected by the conflict. The moderator also urged the international community to seek peace in the middle east and object from blaming the instability in Yemen to one side alone.

After the moderator spoke, a representative from Yemen offered his insight and opinion on the humanitarian crisis. The Yemenis representative argued, through a translator, that the Yemenis government continues to try to end the war against the Yemenis people and has been trying to since 2014. He said that, “peace is an irreversible option.” Along with the help of the UN Special Envoy, Mr. Griffiths, and a joint declaration between the two parties, the country hopes to achieve this goal of peace. The Yemenis representative said that Yemen welcomes the call for a ceasefire and for the political process to resume. He said that the militia groups do not believe in peace and expressed discontent with the Stockholm agreement. He said that a specific party––possibly the militias, however, I did not catch the party name nor reference––continues to violate the ceasefire, plant mines, and steal humanitarian aid. The representative said that the government wants to put an end to the militias. The pandemic has only aggravated the humanitarian crisis and he calls on the international community to support the government’s efforts in addressing the crisis. He asked the council to spare Yemen and for countries to stop using the issue for “political blackmail.”

The above has only been fact-checked for names and titles. I am just reiterating what I heard said during the Security Council meeting. 

Please find the first draft of my photography project on Mission Helping Hands in a Google Presentation here!

I am very excited to hear what you all think. I was also planning on writing a short write-up as well for general background information if you think that would add to the story?

I attended a live discussion called “We Built This City: Destiny Mata and Gogy Esparza in Conversation” today. This event highlighted Mata and Esparza, two Latinx, New York City based photographers, who are exhibiting together at Abrons Arts Center. Destiny Mata is a documentary photographer whose work has been featured in Teen Vogue, VICE’s Noisey, and others. Her show, La Vida en Loisaida (Life on the Lower East Side) features images Mata captured of her neighbors and friends from 2009, when she started practicing photography at age 18, to 2020. In the backdrop of many of these images are the Lillian Wald Houses where Mata grew up; for Mata, the NYCHA buildings are the soul of the city. Gogy Esparza is a photographer and videographer whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, VICE, i-D, and others. His show is called Can We Talk? and it is an autobiographical reflection of New York City.

Both Mata and Esparza prioritize capturing Black and Latinx individuals and communities in their photography; they believe that these communities are the heart and soul of the city and really encapsulate what it means to be a real New Yorker. During the discussion, both photographers delved deep into the circumstances surrounding select images from each of their shows. Mata explained how she was first encouraged to pursue documentary photography by a professor at LaGuardia Community College. She recalls him saying, ‘What better person to tell the story of your neighborhood than you?’ For Mata, her photography practice is about preserving history, especially in ever-changing neighborhoods as a result of gentrification. One of the images she spotlighted was one she took of her neighbor––an elderly woman with frosty blue tips and electric blue tights to match; in the background are the Lillian Wald Houses. 

For Esparza, his fascination with the city stems from ‘90s and early ‘2000s hip-hop photography. During the discussion, he touches on the appropriation of street photography in mainstream media. He also recounts a heart wrenching story around one of the images featured in his photo series. The image is of a woman in a dark nightclub during a birthday party––Gucci-emblazoned wallpaper serves as a backdrop. The photo captures a moment of vulnerability; it describes a search for a way out of poverty in an unforgiving city. Esparza says that the woman lit her cigarette with his and then asked if he was willing to spend the night with her––she needed to make ends meet; however, he ended up not taking the offer. The tattoo on her face reads, “Life’s A Bitch.” The entire image and story is quite poetic.  

 

To: Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo, Remezcla Features Editor, <[email protected]>

From: Naydeline Mejia, <[email protected]>

Hi Ecleen, 

I hope you’re well! It’s been a while since we’ve been in contact. I see that you’ve transitioned roles from News & Special Projects Editor to Features Editor. That is amazing, congrats! 

I am contacting you because I have an idea for a local community story that I would like to run by you, and hopefully you would be interested in commissioning it and/or passing it along to the new culture editor. 

The coronavirus pandemic has left millions of Americans unemployed and flooding food banks as the need for affordable groceries surges. Mission Helping Hands is a mutual aid program based in the South Bronx working to provide quality meals and provisions for the community. The South Bronx population is largely made up of Hispanics, many of them of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, who have been dealing with food scarcity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In response to COVID-19, Mission Helping Hands started The Garden Project. Through the Garden Project, MHH has partnered with three community gardens in the area to provide a healthy, sustainable food source for the community. These gardens serve multiple purposes as safe spaces for children to play, points for food distribution, education centers for providing free courses on nutrition for community members, as well as mental health spaces. 

I believe that this story is important and timely as MHH is helping address a need that has been exacerbated by the pandemic: food insecurity. Even after the spread of the virus has slowed and been put under control, The Garden Project will continue to serve as a vital resource for the poorest congressional district in America. 

I am aware that Remezcla has done similar coverage recently, and I hope that this story will help to keep the conversation going on the site. As you know, I have done similar charity-based stories in the past, specifically thinking about this piece, and I am especially excited to cover a program right outside of my neighborhood. 

For this story I am envisioning around 800 words with photography, which I can provide. 

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Naydeline

Country/corresponding immigrant community:

Dominican community in New York City 

How many live in the US? In the tristate area? How many in the home country? 

According to Pew Research Center, an estimated 2.1 million Dominicans lived in the United States in 2017 and that number has surely risen since then. Dominicans are the fifth-largest hispanic population living in the U.S. In New York City specifically, persons of Dominican origins make up about 29% of the city’s estimated 2.5 million Latinos. In 2017, Dominicans displaced Puerto Ricans are New York’s largest Latino group. Back at home, the population of the Dominican Republic is estimated to be around 10.8 million.

In the tristate area, where do they live?

The largest concentration of Dominicans in New York City is in Washington Heights/Inwood with 46% of Dominican immigrants inhabiting the neighborhood. Nevertheless, in recent years, older Dominican populations seem to be declining in Washington Heights/Inwood as a result of gentrification and many are making their way uptown to the Bronx, where almost 40% of Dominican peoples residing in New York live. 

What jobs do a significant percentage of them have?

In 2016, nearly 66% of Dominicans over the age of 16 were in the civilian labor force, which is higher than the average for native-born American citizens. Dominicans tend to be employed in service occupations; a 2013 Pew Research statistical profile found that Dominicans are also highly employed in trade and transportation. 

Why did they come? When?

According to the Migration Policy Institute, Dominicans largely fled to the United States in order to escape political turmoil and seek economic stability after the assassination of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1961; his assassination led to U.S. intervention in the country and political unrest. This first wave of Dominicans was largely composed of well-off, upper class Dominicans and political exiles. The second wave of immigration, sparked by the Latin American debt crisis, came in the 1980s; this wave was composed of the very poor and the professional class. Nowadays, many Dominicans migrate to the states through family reunification. 

What are some major organizations/advocacy groups/resources in this community?

• Community Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP)
• Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation
• Dominicanos USA
• Dominican Women’s Development Center

Do they have local media house/s? If so, list them.

I do not believe so; if they do exist I was not able to find them. I do, however, know of a blog called Mixta that highlights stories of Dominican women, which I used to work with! Some other local Latinx media publications are: Remezcla, Emperifollá, ¡Hola! USA, Mitú, and Latino USA.

List/link the major media houses in the home country.

1. El Caribe
2. Hoy
3. Listin Diario
4. El Nacional
5. Diario Libre
6. Corporación Estatal de Radio y Televisión (CERTV) (Canal 4) – government-owned
7. Color Visión (Canal 9) 
8. Telemicro (Canal 5)
9. Telesistema (Canal 11) 
10. Teleantillas (Canal 2)
11. Antena Latina (Canal 7) – state-owned
12. Cadena de Noticias (CDN) 
13. Dominican Today – in English
14. DR1 – in English

This list was curated by BBC News. 

How strong are relationships with the home country? How significant are remittances to the home country’s economy?

According to the U.S. Department of State, U.S. relations with the Dominican Republic are complex. The two countries are engaged in trade––the U.S. is the Dominican Republic’s most important trading partner––and often work together to combat illegal drug and human trafficking as well as illegal immigration. The Dominican Republic has the second-largest economy in the Caribbean after Cuba, making it an important partner to the states. In 2019, the country received $7.42 billion in remittances, with 77.4% of remittances coming from the United States. Remittances are really important to the economy; they make up about 8.14% of the GDP. 

In the homeland what is the GDP per capita? Where does that rank in the world? What are the major industries?

The GDP totals at $88.9 million USD with a per capita average of $8,282 USD according to The World Bank. The country ranks number 68 out of 196 countries. The major industries in the Dominican Republic are agriculture (11% of GDP), mining (2% of GDP), and tourism. 

What is the system of government? When did this system come into place? Was there a colonial power? (Or was it the colonial power?)

The Dominican Republic is a democratic republic. The country recently elected a new president, Luis Abinader of the PRM, but from 2012 until 2020 President Danilo Medina and the PLD ran the executive branch of government. The Congress consists of two houses, the senate and a Chamber of Deputies. The legal system is derived from Napoleonic code meaning it follows civil law and cases are decided by a judge rather than a jury. The new democratic government emerged after the assassination of dictator Trujillo. 

The country was colonized by Christopher Columbus and Spanish conquistadors in 1496 and was annexed by Haiti in 1822. The country gained its independence from Haiti in 1844, was recolonized by Spain soon after, and regained independence in 1865. 

Name of the NY consul general. How long has he/she been in the role?

According to Diario Libre, Eligio Jáquez assumed the role of consul general in New York last month taking the place of the previous consul general, Carlos Castillo.

Give three potential story ideas. (Doesn’t need to be a fully fleshed-out pitch yet, but should be well thought-out.)

1. In February of this year, Dominicans both at home and in the city took to the streets to protest what they call a ‘threat to democracy.’ These protests were a result of the cancellation of municipal elections set to take place on Sunday, February 16. The JCE, or Central Electoral Board, cited issues with the polling machines as their reason for cancelling the election three hours after they began. Protestors demanded that the leaders of the JCE resign and accused the board of committing fraud alongside the PLD; many who did get a chance to vote the first time around reported not receiving complete ballots. Dominicans worried that the country was headed towards dictatorship as the Party for the Dominican Liberation (PLD) held power for over 18 years. It was only recently that another party, the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), took over office. I am interested in interviewing Dominicans about their opinions on the country’s government, and if they think it is headed in the right direction with the election of Luis Abinader of the PRM.
2. The tuberculosis shot that many Dominican get in order to protect themselves from the disease, which is endemic in the island, is an unlikely symbol of Dominican identity. When the tuberculosis shot is administered to people in the Dominican Republic it often leaves a scar that stays with them for life. I am interested in doing a photo essay on this unique marker of community and identity. I want to get personal accounts from Dominican immigrants about the shot, what the scar means to them, and how they’ve used this marker to recognize and connect with other Dominicans. This is a story I can work on at home as my parents and other family members have this mark, pictured here. 
3. On June 7th, Alberto shot a photo during a BLM protest in Washington Heights that sparked a lot of subsequent conversation and controversy. The controversy stems from conflicting Haitian and Dominican relations and long held antihaitianismo in the country. Cardi B even had to defend herself after reposting the emblematic image on her personal social media accounts; she retorted on Instagram Live, ‘You wanna know why people were marching in Washington Heights, the Dominicans and Haitians? Because we want peace, we want unity. Come to this country and you’ll see how you’ll get treated […] So they say [I] don’t know the history. I know, oh, I know. But it’s enough already. It happened already, and it’s time to treat our brothers and sisters like people.’ I want to profile the photographer who took the photo that broke the internet; I want to speak with him about his feelings regarding the varied response, what the recognition means to him, on documenting New York City, and what his goals are for his career as a photographer. 

For this semester, I would be interested in covering the Dominican Republic as well as the Dominican community in New York City. From the Table 2-2 shared on the class blog, Dominicans are the highest foreign-born population in New York City. Many Dominican immigrants are concentrated in the Washington Heights neighborhood in upper Manhattan; however, many Dominicans have been moving out of the neighborhood and into boroughs such as The Bronx as a result of gentrification. I would be interested in covering stories about gentrification in the neighborhood; specifically, I am interested in profiling older Dominicans who are still living in Washington Heights and how they are coping with rising rent prices. Moreover, I am also interested in covering the coronavirus and how Dominicans have been impacted by the pandemic. A recent article from The Patch shows that Washington Heights has the highest positive antibody rates in the borough of Manhattan which tells us that the neighborhood has been highly impacted by Covid-19.

Other than covering these topics, I am especially interested in writing feature stories on some Dominican change-makers and organizations. For example, Franchesca Feliz is a longtime Washington Heights resident that is preserving the culture of the neighborhood through her initiative, Uptown Girl Productions. I am also interested in speaking with the Dominican photographer of an image of demonstrators holding together a Dominican and Haitian flag during a Black Lives Matter protest in Washington Heights this summer. The image sparked a lot of controversy, which speaks a lot to Dominican and Haitian relations and the long held antihaitianismo in the Dominican Republic. Cardi B even had to defend sharing the image on her social media because of the uproar.

There are many other people and topics I would like to cover, but I want to keep this post short. In order to find sources, I will consult other Dominican journalists in my network, friends and family, as well as social media.