Identity At Play is a photo essay about basketball in indigenous communities in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca. Unlike in wider mestizo Mexico, where soccer reigns supreme, in the Sierra basketball is king.
American basketball players come to Mexico to compete in basketball tournaments in small villages around the country. It is their last shot at realizing their dreams of becoming professional players.
"Noble County" asks the viewer to enter the space of infanthood: liminal, isolated, extraordinary, mundane, grappling. It does so in the unique context of a farm in southeastern Ohio.
The Xpan’s panoramic format allows Jorge to capture not only the geographical landscapes of Mexico – the crenelated mountains extending on and on under a huge, hot sky – but the emotional and cultural ones as well: the demons of carnival with their grotesque otherworldly grins haunting ordinary pueblo streets
My work as a documentary photographer is inspired by my experience as an immigrant from Oaxaca, Mexico. Photography for me is a path to understanding my homeland. I’m primarily interested in my people: the ones who have stayed and the ones who have left, and the links that unite them. My documentary photography explores the meaning of sports in indigenous communities. Where I come from, there is a strong emphasis on giving. Even those who have little give freely. Opportunities are rare, and those who have been lucky feel the need to give back. I see my photography as a kind of responsibility and gift, to honor the traditions that have made me who I am.
I’m an avid traveler and have been to Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, Borneo, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, and of course Mexico. I'm currently based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and available for assignments anywhere.
Jorge Santiago is a photographer in Pittsburgh. He specializes in photographing culture in sports and editorial assignments in the US and Mexico. View stories.