First Place, Magazine Photographer of the Year

Jon Lowenstein, CITY 2000

"Dollar World, Chicago"
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Chicago has long been a mecca for immigrants from around the world. In recent years, it has become an epicenter for the immigration of Latin American and, in particular, Mexican immigrants. The Mexican economic crash of 1994 exacerbated already widespread poverty forcing many Mexicans to make the arduous journey across the United States border.

This project offers a glimpse into the community of day laborers in Chicago in the year 2000, from hustling jobs on street corners to spending time with their families.
In the current economic boom people at the bottom are overlooked by mainstream society. This segment of the labor force is the foundation upon which the larger economy depends and is comprised of jobs that Americans with legal status refuse to do.