The Rainier Valley is a neighborhood that stretches roughly six miles southeast of downtown Seattle. It is a part of the city that holds a wealth of culture and history. Most of Seattle is unaware that this section of the city holds possibly the largest concentration of immigrant and refugee communities in the nation. I have spent over four years in the Rainier Valley meeting first generation immigrants from nearly every corner of the globe. The stories accompanying these portraits are composed from our conversations and are written entirely in the words of the subjects. Each person was photographed where they live or where they work and generously took the time to share with me their experiences coming to and living in the United States.

In most places in the world, there is a tradition of story telling. Culture and heritage, as well as history, are passed down by word of mouth or are represented in works of art. My hope is that the Rainier Valley project is in keeping with that tradition as well as being a photographic documentary. Every story is unique and each person extraordinary, but there are also many common threads. Most striking are those of courage and perseverance in spite of the unimaginable challenges and the ravages of war that so often set the stage for the exodus of immigrants and refugees. Once here, assimilation takes time, hard work and sacrifice. Immigrants and refugees are an integral part of our nations history and continue to contribute to the rich mosaic of cultures in the United States that makes us who we are.

Joanne Petrina

Go to Rainier Valley project