THE NEIGHBORS
Since at least 2016, divisiveness and polarization have threatened the fabric of our society. As Americans struggle to find common ground amid politically convenient confusion that often benefits politicians at the expense of everyday citizens, the importance of seeing and hearing each other on a human level is greater than it has been in nearly half a century. In an effort to encourage unity within a splintered nation, this new portrait series invites America to meet The Neighbors.
This series is a work in progress. If you’re interested in being photographed for it, please get in touch.
JAY
Born and raised in Los Angeles’ Echo Park neighborhood, Jay’s passion for music, art and film developed early in life and has continued into adulthood. Now an I.T. professional at a major university, he says being dependable and helping the people around him is important to him.
Raised in a first-generation immigrant family that came to the U.S. from the Philippines after World War II, Jay is no stranger to polarization and differences in beliefs — in fact, it’s something he says he’s seen firsthand even among family.
“My family (great grandfathers) fought in WWII for the United States and were able to secure passage to America for their service. Both sides of my family are polarizing in that one side was very academic-focused and has a history of military-focused careers, while one side is very working class/blue-collar,” Jay says.
Jay says those differences, and the conflicts that can sometimes arise from them, are mirrored in today’s societal divisions — something he thinks has had a negative impact on the overall sense of community in American society today.
“It has been a time of division and conflict; our society has also been at an all-time high for being less community driven. I see lots of dissatisfaction with our government, politics, economy and outlook on our future as a country,” he says.
Still, as someone who identifies as more liberal leaning in his personal views, Jay says he speaks frequently with people from a wide variety of perspectives, ranging from those who are very religious to those who are very conservative in their views — an important aspect of bringing a divided community back together again.
“I think we need have a higher focus on what we have in common, what unites us, and a common goal to achieve more so than before. Having differences is a given and is what makes our country so beautiful. But I think political parties have exploited our differences to use as a tool to divide our country. ‘One nation’ has turned to ‘many nations,’ as the division has caused the fracture of our society. Everyone sees America as a totally different country than the next person. We are one country of many different people — backgrounds, faiths, politics, etc.,” Jay says.
When it comes to turning things around, he points to a simple yet simultaneously difficult solution: empathy.
“Practice patience, empathy and to be unbiased when listening. I think we are quick to paint someone as an adversary if our beliefs/ideologies do not align with theirs. We see them as a possible enemy as opposed to a possible neighbor,” he says.
RACHEL
Rachel lives in Whittier, California with her husband, J.D., and their cat, Hildy. They are Christians who run a house church with a congregation she says is “largely made up of queer folks and people who've been marginalized from mainline churches.”
At the time of Rachel’s interview, she and her husband had recently moved away from a communal living situation into a private home. In spite of the transition, they have remained committed to keeping their new house open to their community.
“The more we’re isolated in every other way – like isolating ourselves in our home – just makes it easier to hide and kind of ignore what other people are experiencing,” she says. “So we’re hoping that our home, moving forward — and now – will always be kind of like a sanctuary for people from all backgrounds.”
When asked about her hopes for America, Rachel says, “I’m hoping that the more we see our neighbors, the more we can dismantle the fear and ‘otherness’ surrounding different communities.”
MORENA
As a business student at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, Morena says she feels a constant pressure to be successful and a desire to “make all the sacrifices my grandparents (who immigrated to the United States) made worth it.”
Raised in a Republican family that gradually became more liberal as she grew up, Morena says when the U.S. pulled out of the Paris climate accord, she thought to herself, “This was not the America my grandparents envisioned for us.” She adds that she has always had an interest in politics but is still on the fence about a lot of things and views herself as being in a phase of self-discovery.
Morena says she’s been inspired by the recent push for women to support each other rather than tearing each other down. “I [used to be] like, ‘I have to be better than her!’” she says. “And now, I’m learning I just need to be the best of myself and try to look for the best of others — especially women — because that’s the only way we can really rise up with each other.”
When asked about what she thought could help America right now, Morena says, “Something I wish other people would be able to realize, or do, is accept that they don’t know everything. […] If that’s just a general acceptance people can have, it opens up conversation, it takes away divisiveness and judgment.”
ALEKSANDROS
Originally from Greece, Aleksandros immigrated to the United States in 2018 to pursue career and education opportunities in a stronger economy — a move the 23-year-old says his mother “sacrificed everything” to make happen.
“It is my obligation to succeed in life and exceed my limits. I had an amazing childhood surrounded by my best friends and learned the leadership aspect from a young age. I am on my journey to entrepreneurship in the land of opportunities, and I believe that you can truly achieve everything you put your mind to,” he says.
As a recent immigrant, Aleksandros has had the unique experience of observing American society both from within and as a someone from a different place. For him, the divisiveness and political tensions that have pulled Americans apart in recent years haven’t been a barrier to connecting with his neighbors or understanding their perspectives — even when they’re different from his.
“I speak to people that we don't align views very frequently. In reality, I do not fully agree with any other human I interact. That would be unrealistic and unhealthy. Every person I know, I have common ground and oppositions. That is the way it should be. You should never 100% agree with anyone. I enjoy having difficult discussions with my best friends, even if some of us have to play ‘Devil's Advocate’ in order to kick off critical thinking. At the end of the day, I will happily have a discussion with anyone about anything as long as I have a formal and well-thought opinion,” he says.
Noting that the majority of Americans seem “too focused on what is happening around them,” rather than reflecting on their own actions or beliefs, Aleksandros points to social media algorithms as a particular source of division in the United States.
“They tend to blindly follow the voices of the internet or the news without a chance to even come to their own conclusion. It's easier to side with people you like — that's why social media algorithms will show you content that is relevant to your liking. Unfortunately, the end result to this is critical thinking going down the drain,” he says.
When asked what he thinks he and his fellow Americans can do to heal their divisions, Aleksandros’ response is simple and straightforward: “People need to listen more without feeling personally attacked or offended. I've been part of many great discussions and knowing how to properly communicate conflicting thoughts and ideas can lead to extraordinary conversations. I have moments where I can find myself taking things personally — but acknowledging that in the midst of the discord, and removing feelings from the conversation, is truly valuable.”
IAN
Born in Palo Alto, California, and raised in Mexico, Ian is currently a senior at Michigan State University, where he studies computer science and has plans to join one of the Big Three automakers as a software engineer after graduation.
In a time of polarization in the U.S., Ian thinks self-reflection is important for creating a more unified society — and it’s a task he isn’t afraid to throw himself into as he embarks on a new chapter in his life.
“I believe that moments of self-reflection and mindfulness are important in order to keep a foot on the ground, especially in a world where everything else seems more important that one's self-consciousness. Pondering about my own past, career and identity helped me gain perspective of where I belong as an individual and how I can bring the most value to my community. Similarly, learning about the people in my community helps me appreciate the (eclectic) set of backgrounds, personalities, careers and identities that exist within it,” he says.
For Ian, engaging with others whose views aren’t necessarily aligned with his own is a practice that encourages compassion, understanding and personal growth.
“I'm happy to say that I often find myself surrounded by people who have very different backgrounds and ideologies as mine, and I always make an effort to listen as openly as I can to untap any potential kind of bias or falsity in my own ideologies. I enjoy having conversations with people who have opinions that do not precisely align with my own, and I can always speak compassionately and have respect towards them, as long as they hold what to me are moral values,” Ian says.
Still, Ian acknowledges that those conversations aren’t always easy. Usually, they require a certain level of knowledge about the other person’s beliefs before engaging with them — something he hopes to improve on in future conversations with others.
“If I could change one thing about the way I interact with people I disagree with, it would be to come into the conversation with more knowledge about their point of view and truly understand what their argument is and how they reached that conclusion. Having more background on the topic would decrease the gap between our points of view, allowing for a more productive conversation,” Ian says.
By taking more time to understand where others are coming from in deeper ways, Ian believes we can begin to heal our society and start seeing each other as neighbors, rather than opponents, again.
“I believe that actively learning about the things that make us different will help us understand each other, and ultimately, build bridges between our disagreements. This semester, I got the opportunity to learn about Indian film and how it affects their culture and society, and along the way, I had the chance to learn certain things about their culture that would otherwise seem unfamiliar. Learning about the culture, background, or political ideologies of somebody who we disagree with could help bring things into perspective and heal the current social divisions within our community,” he says.
KAREN
Originally from New Jersey, Karen is a Los Angeles-based attorney who recently opened her own practice.
“I went to law school because I wanted to help people — because that's what I want to do with my career,” she says. “I want to help as many people as I can get access to justice.”
In spite of the positive impact her work has on her clients, Karen says she still questions whether her efforts are making enough of a difference in the world.
But she she keeps going.
“If everybody stopped at the same time, there would be nothing left,” she says. “That’s why we all have to keep on going.”
Asked about her hopes for American society, Karen says, “That we can help each other more.”
AJIT
Born and raised in New Jersey, Ajit graduated from college in 2016 and moved to Los Angeles 1.5 years later.
“I felt like I was kind of trapped in a bubble and didn't really know what else was around me,” he recalls.
As an experienced stage actor and musician that has played saxophone for over a decade, Ajit says he’s excited to make use of his talents in the Los Angeles creative scene.
When asked how he believes America can come together, Ajit says, “I think you have to exercise empathy at every corner. If you have a bad interaction with someone, ask, ‘Where is this person is coming from?’ What are they feeling inside that's causing them to act this way towards you? They might be in more pain than you know. Everybody's got their own thing going on.”
This series is a work in progress. If you’re interested in being photographed, please get in touch.