https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2019/38262/1/John-Moore-(2)
This photo, from the 2019 competition by John Moore shows a Honduran toddler crying as her father is being taken into custody at the US border. This picture is one of many which have portrayed the huge issue of the last few years surrounding the US-Mexican border and the illegal immigration of thousands. This issue of separating children from their parents has been one of the forefront issues in the media, as many human rights activists do not believe this should occur, but the United States government is very dead set on the fact that these illegal immigrants will be criminally prosecuted. According to NBC News, that number of separated families is now up to over 5,400.
NBC goes on to explain how inhumane this system is and how flawed it has become where children are not always recovered when the process is said and done. This picture takes the support of these innocent children, as the ideal victim theory is well at play here. The author John Moore is an author and photojournalist who is dedicated to the issue of family separation and highlighting the issues of the border patrol humanitarian crisis, as he recently published a book in March 2018 titled “Undocumented: Immigration and the Militarization of the United States-Mexico Border.” He aims to provide a humanitarian approach to the immigration process our country currently faces. This is firmly based as an international conflict, as many Southern American immigrants to the United States are directly affected by this process, with thousands of families attempting to enter the country being broken up. He likely would have been writing and taking these pictures for the younger audiences, so that their views may be shaped as they see the cruel reality of the world and the unspoken truth of our country and its immigration policies. I have noticed that many of the photos that were nominated in this year were of the same border issue, and from that it can be concluded how serious of an international issue this was. There were few photographs from other parts of the world, and multiple different photos capturing this same issue, really driving home to viewers the severity and cruciality of this border humanitarian crisis.
After seeing all of the photographs highlighting this issue, and especially this one, I am a firm believer that photojournalism can, in fact, change the world. With the young audience that is being targeted in this picture, authors are able to share injustice with the world in a way that words can not adequately capture. By seeing a young child being stripped away from her parents with your own eyes, it allows a global compassion and allows you to feel for those in the photographs. Pictures can accomplish so much more than words, even the best words will never stack up to a well taken picture. These pictures are able to spread awareness of an issue that people can make personal, it promotes change in hopes that we will never have to see another young child cry like that as she is pried away hopelessly from her parents.
Luckily, from these photos and other means, there has been positive social change that has come from this terrible situation. According to The Guardian, there have been upwards of 300 children adopted into the United States so far by ‘pro-life’ christian organizations who are looking to provide the hopeless children with the lives their parents set out on that journey to give them. It is great for the photojournalists to see this, as it goes to show that their work is not going unnoticed. All things considered, this is a great example to show that photojournalism really can change the world.
“Crying Girl on the Border.” John Moore POY | World Press Photo. Accessed March 19, 2020. https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2019/38262/1/John-Moore-(2).
Filipovic, Jill. “Adoption of Separated Migrant Kids Shows ‘pro-Life’ Groups’ Disrespect for Maternity | Jill Filipovic.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, October 30, 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/30/adoption-separated-migrant-children-pro-lifers-deep-disrespect-for-maternity.
Press, Associated. “More than 5,400 Children Split at Border, According to New Count.” NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, October 25, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/more-5-400-children-split-border-according-new-count-n1071791.
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