"I traveled to my hometown of Brownsville, Texas for this photo. Every year in February we have a Charro days celebration where we celebrate being a border town. This was located near where several floats are stored. I found the similarities between an abandoned part of a float to the nearby brush amusing and equated it to my Peruvian roots and the Mexican community I grew up in.
My father and mother were born and raised in their respective countries of Germany and Peru. They immigrated to the Rio Grande Valley, the southernmost tip of South Texas, and a portion of northern Tamaulipas, Mexico. I, along with my siblings, are first-generation multicultural Americans. It has been hard to feel a sense of belonging or acceptance anywhere. I often question what makes up one's identity, and when several cultures are involved, is there one that dominates above the rest, or can they all live within someone harmoniously?
These feelings have led me to question my understanding of place, my sense of personal identity, and even the impressions of my memories. This project is a metaphor for the in-between– discovering a mental space that I have constructed while delving into my family's past."
– Chantal Lesley