Villa 31
http://www.emilyanneepstein.com/wp-content/uploads/Villa31_CD_001.flvVilla 31 is a slum located in the center of Argentina’s capital city. At least 40,000 people call it home, mostly Paraguayans, Bolivians, Peruvians and other families struggling to make a living. Most often, men work as construction workers and women are homemakers and maids. The area is the most desirable in Buenos Aires because of its downtown location: close to the stock market and the wealthiest districts, as well as the city’s central transportation.
The municipal government views the slum as a blight, often imposing laws and raids meant to destroy it. For the people who live there, however, it’s a neighborhood. Children roam freely amidst the several schools, playgrounds and community centers within its borders.
In order to understand the various divides in Buenos Aires, between the wealthy and the poor, the government and the people- I photographed families. I felt an investigation into the family unit would best illustrate the complexities of Villa 31 and the infrastructure that maintains it.