In 1994, an indigenous group in Chiapas, Mexico took up arms against the government. They stood against economic globalization and believed in a participatory democracy. The NAFTA treaty had just been signed and the Mexican government had sent troops to repress these communities. Seven years later, I traveled to that region with other teenagers like myself, naïve and full of ideals, for a few days. The poverty in this border town was extreme. After a two-hour walk we crossed the border without papers to Guatemala. This photograph is the only one I took there. I just needed a few minutes to realize that the economical poverty was far worse on this side.

Print sizes: 24"x16": $150

Cintia Segovia is originally from Mexico and employs photography, video and performance to delve into issues of identity and bilingualism. She received her MA from CSU Northridge and her MFA at CSU Long Beach. Cintia’s work has been exhibited in private galleries and universities and in community exhibition venues in California, Missouri, Texas, Oregon, and Vermont; at the Mexican Consulate, the Spartanburg Art Museum, Torrance Art Museum, and Orange Coast College. Her work is part of the collection at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, the National Immigration Law Center and the University of Dayton.