Arizona always makes me feel uncomfortable around this time of year. I can still taste the clear skies, 70-degree afternoons, march madness and spring training baseball fresh on the palate, but anxiously sense the sun getting stronger, the air getting thicker and the dusty dog days of summer getting ready to roll on in.
This year feels especially foreign for me. Instead of swallowing my annual dose of Suns playoff heartache, I’m awkwardly jumping for joy after a sweep of the Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. Instead of being overseas, hunched over a computer, dealing with language and cultural barriers, I’m back in my hometown, celebrating with my friends and family.
As good as it is to be home, for travelers it can still feel weird. The sun seems to be beating down even harder on Arizona these days due to the passing of Arizona Senate Bill 1070.
As I find myself anchored in the desert for the foreseeable future, I’m making a conscious effort to get to know my city and state more intimately by implementing some of the exploratory tactics I used in other countries.
One of the first, and most exciting, events I covered while working in Santiago was a protest. So I followed suit and set out to photograph the SB1070 protest at the Arizona state capitol on Sunday, May 1, 2010.
I knew that a protest in Phoenix wasn’t going to have the tenacity, danger and adrenaline of a Santiago protest, but I figured that our wild-west culture combined with the intense way this new law has been polarizing the public made this an ideal time to get my hands dirty in some Valley public assembly.
No flying rocks, tear gas or fires, but I’m pleased with the pictures and working on compiling the audio and video into something (ideas welcome). As good as it felt to be back in that arena, I still find myself in the awkward state of being happy and comfortable while waiting, feeling and burning for whatever happens next.