MICHELLE SIU
In Limbo
In the Dominican Republic, Haitians and their descendants exist at the margins of society. Long standing racial tensions and recent immigration policy changes, place ethnic Haitians at risk of deportation and statelessness. Many with limited options have fled the D.R. in fear; as others are forcibly deported during immigration raids. Those who remain are not treated as Dominicans and are deprived of rights such as education and security. Meanwhile in Haiti, housing settlements for the displaced continue to swell along the border.
They continue to live in limbo.
This issue is complex and bureaucratic. But what can be easily understood is that the Dominican civil registry has no record of their existence, however, this portrait series confirms the contrary— giving a face to the tens of thousands affected.
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Michelle Siu is a self-taught documentary photographer and freelance photojournalist. She shoots for editorial publications and international aid agencies while working on longer-term projects. As a daughter of Chinese immigrants to Canada, she is drawn to human rights stories which affect vulnerable people and disenfranchised cultures. Her work has appeared in publications like The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Washington Post and regularly contributes Canada's largest publications including The Globe and Mail.
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1.416.908.8985
michellewsiu@gmail.com
