Isaiah.A.davis age.16 would like to travel to Europe in 2015. He has his eyes set on skating Barcelona. Also, Isaiah would like to make more power moves with his skateboard sponsorship companies, Lacai and Ace Trucks.
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New Year’s Day, photographer Daniel Mondragón went out with his camera. He encountered friends and neighbors and asked them what they hoped for themselves and their community in 2015. Below are their portraits and responses.
For 21-year-old Joel Martinez, 2015 is a chance to continue on his path studying business and eventually own his own food truck in the city. He is passionate about cooking and is excited to enter the new year. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Everarda Fernandez has lived in the Mission since 1960. She simply hopes this new year brings happiness to her nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She says: “Que Dios me los bendiga a todos.” (May God bless them all.) Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Eric Perez, 25-years-old, say he would like to continue working and hopes to enroll in school in 2015 because he believes an education is the key to obtaining all his goals in life. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Elia Fernandez is a Mission local since 1961. I was captivated by her eyes. Elia says she wants to promote good health and to see a safer Mission District all around for her grandchildren. “Ideally, I would like it to be like it was when I was growing up,” she says. Elia was raised at 26th and Mission. She would also appreciate it if drivers were more cautious on the streets. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Jose Diaz is 22-years-old and has lived on 25th Street his entire life. “2014 was pretty eventful,” says Jose, but he sees 2015 as a good opportunity to improve his health by watching what he puts into his body while staying active. Also, he hopes to stay out trouble, because he favors his freedom. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Lane Marriott, a 17-year-old student at Mission High, would like to finish his senior year with strong grades. Afterward he would like to skate around the world as a full time job. Lane is currently sponsored by Mission Skateboard. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Bryan DeLeon, 18-years-old, plans on returning to school in the fall semester but continue working at the Starbucks on Mariposa and Bryant. He is an active young man, he says he plans to take the new year as an invitation to get back into skateboarding. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Lamea Avuelrous (right), owner of Café Temos on 24th and Harrison, and her son Ashraf are very welcoming. They have been in the Mission since July 2013. In 2015, they would like to become more familiar with other locals because they are fairly new to the neighborhood. Lamea and Ashraf feel the community has been welcoming thus far and they are very happy here. “Stop by for a great cup of coffee and the latest issue of Mission Local,” Lamea encouages anyone reading this. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Oswaldo Cisneros is a 19-year-old who works Mission Skateboard Employee on 24th and Treat. He’s young, yet ambitious. He enjoys school and has an interest in the sciences, especially in molecular biology. He shoots for the stars and would like to take and pass two courses of chemistry before the fall semester. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
In 2015, 19-year-old Terry Cruz says he wants to learn how to drop in at the deep end of the skate pool and has dreams of starting his own skate company he would call “SKATE FREEDOM” promoting skateboarding as a way of life. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
I was really happy to run into Marcus, a 22-year-old originally from Hunter’s Point. He is always in the Mission, either getting a bite at El Farolito or hanging out with friends. “There’s no other place like the Mission, so I come out here everyday I can,” he says. Marcus simply wants to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! He already has what he wants, good friends and the best neighborhood in the city. Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
Twenty-six year-old Anthony Ng has been in the Mission since 1997. He went Bryant Elementary and Horace Mann Middle School and now works for an international oil drilling company which demands he be at sea several times throughout the year. Some stints last up to six months long. He hopes 2015 will permit him more free time to come back home and give back to the people in the community which made him the person he is today. I personally feel very lucky to know Anthony, he is a close friend and he is proud of where he was raised. He is truly a success story! Photo by Daniel Mondragón.
p.s. i especially love hearing from the men we NEEEVER hear from anywhere. they’re each so beautiful. and Anthony Ng! i’m so proud. he’s so bad ass, too.
it shows how the people behind cameras in america are afraid of us brown folks because they NEEEEVER walk up to any of us just to ask us about anything benign.
only shootings or bad things.
this is beautiful. thank you for showing the beautiful hearts and eyes and faces of our brothers, fathers, sons, as well as older ignored mothers. they are all so beautiful.
I LOOOOOVE LOOOOOVE LOOOOVE THESE! oh my GOD, thank you mission local. and also i love the new non-anonymous policy regarding comments because reading comments has gotten to be like wincing through cess pools these days and i avoid ’em. even if i’ve commented myself, i don’t return to read any follow ups because even if you say “happy new year,” it’s getting to be like someone will tell you to flush your own head in the toilet.
anyhow, loooove these series of people. it’s warming during such a rough time where those of us who’re under-employed or un-employed in this part-time minimum wage economy forget to go out and see neighbors anymore. everyone’s so harried and trying to hold on.
so it’s precious that you’re doing these series of PEOPLE here in the mission as it gets decimated so casually and quickly. thank you.
what’s interesting about mondragon’s photos of family and friends as well as strangers, is that his apparent openness and humility makes their eyes just open wide up and they seem beautifully human and vulnerable.
thank you for supporting mondragon’s work because we’re in an age where people have forgotten what art was supposed to be about in the first place. it brings us to ourselves and each other. it’s not just about being SEEN or NOTICED.
mondragon’s humility and joy and love for his city and his people comes through. mad, mad respect is obvious.
thank you all youse guys involved in bringing us ourselves and also in helping us to bring out the best in ourselves (as with the new non-anonymous comments policy).
the mission local’s actually interesting in how it exists and is living what it believes. it’s OBVIOUS in this age of bull bull bull everywhere.
thank you for daring to be different.
we need this. i do.
my heart has been so broken watching this city kill what was so beautiful and alive.
happy new years, you all.
this is good art because daniel mondragon makes me happy with his courage and his love. you, too, mission local editors.
thanks for keeping your own House clean and beautiful. it’s not unnoticed. i just speak too many words because i used to be an author.
thanks and happy new year to you all out there who even read this.
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p.s. i especially love hearing from the men we NEEEVER hear from anywhere. they’re each so beautiful. and Anthony Ng! i’m so proud. he’s so bad ass, too.
it shows how the people behind cameras in america are afraid of us brown folks because they NEEEEVER walk up to any of us just to ask us about anything benign.
only shootings or bad things.
this is beautiful. thank you for showing the beautiful hearts and eyes and faces of our brothers, fathers, sons, as well as older ignored mothers. they are all so beautiful.
looooove it love it!
erika
I LOOOOOVE LOOOOOVE LOOOOVE THESE! oh my GOD, thank you mission local. and also i love the new non-anonymous policy regarding comments because reading comments has gotten to be like wincing through cess pools these days and i avoid ’em. even if i’ve commented myself, i don’t return to read any follow ups because even if you say “happy new year,” it’s getting to be like someone will tell you to flush your own head in the toilet.
anyhow, loooove these series of people. it’s warming during such a rough time where those of us who’re under-employed or un-employed in this part-time minimum wage economy forget to go out and see neighbors anymore. everyone’s so harried and trying to hold on.
so it’s precious that you’re doing these series of PEOPLE here in the mission as it gets decimated so casually and quickly. thank you.
what’s interesting about mondragon’s photos of family and friends as well as strangers, is that his apparent openness and humility makes their eyes just open wide up and they seem beautifully human and vulnerable.
thank you for supporting mondragon’s work because we’re in an age where people have forgotten what art was supposed to be about in the first place. it brings us to ourselves and each other. it’s not just about being SEEN or NOTICED.
mondragon’s humility and joy and love for his city and his people comes through. mad, mad respect is obvious.
thank you all youse guys involved in bringing us ourselves and also in helping us to bring out the best in ourselves (as with the new non-anonymous comments policy).
the mission local’s actually interesting in how it exists and is living what it believes. it’s OBVIOUS in this age of bull bull bull everywhere.
thank you for daring to be different.
we need this. i do.
my heart has been so broken watching this city kill what was so beautiful and alive.
happy new years, you all.
this is good art because daniel mondragon makes me happy with his courage and his love. you, too, mission local editors.
thanks for keeping your own House clean and beautiful. it’s not unnoticed. i just speak too many words because i used to be an author.
thanks and happy new year to you all out there who even read this.
erika lopez