This week the Syracuse New Times published an article on immigrant children. It describes the journey of Central American children to the US as documented by former Syracuse photographer Michelle Frankfurter. Frankfurter recently published a book, Destino (destination or destiny) based on her experiences traveling in Mexico since 2000 where she photographed and interviewed Central American migrants. Frankfurter’s black and white photographs capture touching personal moments and hardships faced by migrants along the way.
The article also includes information on a program in central New York for unaccompanied refugee minor children. For the most part, these children enter the US in legal immigration status as refugees. They come from areas of conflict around the world including countries in Africa and southeast Asia. They are resettled in the US as part of a worldwide effort to provide sanctuary to refugees who are fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries. Many of these children have lost their parents to violence or disease. They come without parents or other relatives to care for them and therefore need foster parents to provide guidance and support. Toomey Residential Services, a Catholic Charities program, provides case workers for the children and finds foster homes for them. Anyone interested in information on how to become a foster parent for this program may contact Michelle Maser at Toomey Residential Services: (315) 424-1845.
To read the article go to http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/immigration-on-film/