Emily Anne Epstein is a photographer and writer who, after spending a year working in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is currently based in NYC. Her interest in the lives of those around her has led her to seek out work with Habitat for Humanity, Americorps, and other non-governmental organizations to support humanitarian efforts. Recently, Emily was nominated for the UNICEF photo of the year competition.
A couple of weeks ago, we posted one of Emily’s audio slideshows that highlights the work of Habitat for Humanity in Argentina. Today, Emily gives us an intimate look at Villa 31, one of the most well-known slums in Buenos Aires.
Villa 31 is a 1,525 hectare slum located in the business center of Argentina’s capital city. At least 40,000 people call it home, mostly illegal immigrants, where life and death obey different rules than the ones that maintain the city proper. The lands are the most expensive in Buenos Aires because of their location: right in the middle of downtown, close to the stock market and the highest valued neighborhood, not to mention the city’s central bus and train station.
Regardless of its surroundings, Villa 31 exists in a parallel world, almost self-sufficient and with its own values. It is a city within an Argentine bubble; it grows exponentially, composed of Paraguayans, Bolivians, Peruvians and other families struggling to make a living in Argentina. The government of Buenos Aires views the slum as a blight, often imposing laws and raids meant to break up the community. However, upon entering the Villa, you will find children roaming freely. There are several businesses and community centers within the villa, ranging from restaurants to dentists.
While the native countries of the inhabitants are different, many of them share traditional patriarchal or machismo values. Most often, men work as construction workers and women are homemakers and maids. Rather than explore misconceptions about crime and legality, I felt an investigation into the life of children would best explain the complexities of Villa 31 and the infrastructure that maintains it. Children, unpolluted by politics, are the best indicators of injustice.
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