Welcome to Intipuca City

2017 - Ongoing ~ El Salvador; Maryland City, Maryland, United States; Washington, D.C., United States

WELCOME TO INTIPUCA CITY

Intipuca, El Salvador, 2017

A collective project by the photographers Anita Pouchard Serra and Koral Carballo, with the journalist Jessica Avalos.

THE ACTUAL SERIE

Intipucá is neither here nor there: it exists as both at once. Migration to the United States has been a tradition in Intipucá since 1968. As a result of shifts in international migration policy over the years and the circular nature of migration between Central America and the United States, the structure of families in Intipucá has taken on a transnational identity. The United States has become something close and present, despite being geographically distant.

Traditional architecture in Intipucá can scarcely be seen among newly constructed palaces made possible by remittances from North America. Photographs of these houses and their interiors serve as portraits of both absence and aspiration, representing family members who have left and the material influence of the United States.

By combining this documentation of domestic spaces with portraits, interviews, and hand-written family trees drawn by Intipuqueños (names written in red for those living in the United States, and blue for those living in Intipucá), we encourage viewers to reflect on the drivers and consequences of migration for individuals and their families.

TO BE CONTINUED

We will continue this project in El Salvador during an annual local fest, where all the US Salvadorian come back to celebrate once a year, all together and also in the US, with the other parts of the families met in Intipuca, seeking for how El Salvador and Intipuca remain in the US daily life, how families lives divided between 2 territories, how is a life being part of two cultures and how each culture impact each other.

The departure. Picture from Omar Blanco Father when he took the plane to the US in the 60's
Fernando, After a life in the US, he decided to come back to Intipuca, to get retired. His sons, execpt one stayed in the US
Tradional architecture of the Intipuca Town. Small and colorfull house, one floor. Intipuca is located close to the Pacific coast, in South Salvador.
A north-american Style house, in the heart of Intipuca. Salvadorians abroad started to build big houses, changing the aspect of the village. It's changing the aspect of the city.
Mirna decided to don't migrate to the US, even if all her brothers left. She remain in Intipuca, alone but receive their visit and go the US for holidays.
The main street of Intipuca has the name of the US ambassador in El Salvador.
Inside a house, a miror with the Twin towers in New York.
Maria Diluvina, finally came back to Intipuca after a life in the US, where all her family stayed. But she prefer the sun to the snow.
The statue of Sigfredo Chavez, in the main square of Intipuca. He's well-known as the first migrant who lived Intipuca.
Sigfredo Chavez also has a small space in the museum of the local cultural center.
Ana nevi never went to th US. She would like to go, just to visit her brother, sick, who could not come because he is undocumented. Several nights, she dreamt that she was tooking a plane until the White house in DC.
The so called " White House" in Intipuca main square.
A north-american Style house, in the heart of Intipuca. Salvadorians abroad started to build big houses, changing the aspect of the village. It's changing the aspect of the city.
The Intipuca's Stadium has been built thanks to the fund of Intipuqueños abroad. Inside we can see advertisment for shops of Intipuqueños in the US, in DC o Maryland.
Claudia is a doctor. She went to the US with her parents during the civil war in El Salvador. She finally decided to return alone to El Salvador, as a personal choice, leaving her sons with their grand parents in DC.
The liberty statue, close to a maya art stone, in the garden of a house in Intipuca.