For All Who Don't Know...

Catalina Kids

Catalina Island (located 22 miles from Los Angeles) is largely undeveloped and primarily used as a summertime tourist destination. There is, however, a small local permanent population on the island. There are two schools — one is comprised of 700 students k-12 and the other is a one-room schoolhouse in a remote village.

What is it like for a child to group up in this unique environment? In my essay I want to combine photographs with interviews from children and teens pertaining to their experiences living, working, playing, and going to school in this microcosm of society. I think this is an important project because it will shed light on what it means to grow up in a small, isolated town, which is usually only frequented by summertime tourists coming to “party”. Is this a positive or negative environment to raise children?

I have housing on my father’s boat, which he has temporarily anchored at the island for the next few months. I have also lined up numerous contacts that have shown an interest in my idea. Above all, I feel that I have a unique opportunity to connect with my subjects, since I am still young enough to be viewed as a fellow “youth”.

Ideally, I will build a strong contact with one or more teenagers, who will proceed to introduce me to friends, younger siblings, etc. I want to visually focus on the social interactions and home lives of the children (some of whom have been raised aboard boats, others in deluxe condominiums). Through my interviews I hope to gain insight into what growing up on the island has been like. Has the isolation of the island impacted them positively or negatively? How do they feel about their home being a tourist destination? How do they feel they differ from other kids twenty-two miles away in mainland Los Angeles? The overall project will focus not on individuals, but on the larger social issue of children and their experiences in this unusual community.