RISERS: America's Undocumented Immigrant Youth

Risers is a film and photography series focused on America's undocumented immigrant youth. The short film centers around Brenda Perez and Gerson Quinteros as they deliver a presentation on how to navigate challenges facing young undocumented immigrants. Their lives and stories are emblematic of the mission for immigration reform.  As of 2012, they are in the United States as DACA recipients. This allows them to live without fear of deportation. The films examine their respective journeys to the US, anecdotes from their childhood, and how they are contributing to American society.

RISERS portraits consist of video (scroll down for sample) and still photography.  The portraits and identity statements allow the subjects to expound on the cultural identifiers which make up their self-perception. Using national identity as a framework, their statements convey conditions of religion, sexuality, gender, and relocation.  Possessing both tension and contradiction, they convey an unfiltered perspective of a new cultural style and Americanism.