Jamie Johnson

  Three years ago, I was invited by a friend to document a community of Irish Travellers. It is not an easy community to penetrate, they have faced such discrimination and racism they are very skeptical of outsiders. The prejudice is hard to believe until you see it with your...
  Three years ago, I was invited by a friend to document a community of Irish Travellers. It is not an easy community to penetrate, they have faced such discrimination and racism they are very skeptical of outsiders. The prejudice is hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes. It was an amazing journey and I made connections with so many kind and generous families. They allowed me to photograph their lives and cultures. The children followed me around and took turning using my cameras.  I learned their traditions of being sharply dressed young boys and overly provocatively dressed young girls yet still very catholic, and their goals of falling in love, getting married young and producing many children, and a strong sense of taking care of each other and always respecting God. I returned to Ireland last year and I felt a deeper connection with the wonderful people I met. They welcomed me into their extended families where I spent time with Travellers of all ages. A group of family matriarchs invited me in each day,and told me all the stories since I had last visited, like who got engaged, married, who got arrested, who lost their caravan, who got a bigger caravan, a really genuine group of women happy to have a new American friend. They told me how sorry they felt for me that I only had two children, and my goals should be to have many. They were as interested in my strange Los Angeles life as I was of theirs. As when I photograph anywhere, it is always the children who draw me in. I love listening to their stories and thoughts on life. Growing up in this nomadic life style is very a hard life and they are quite proud people. These kids are sweet but tough as this is the only lifestyle they know. This warm generous family orientated community seeks good lives for their children, great hopes for their community and work to carry on their family culture and traditions thru many generations.
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Irish Travellers Girls Club
Irish Travellers Sisters
Irish Travellers Boys and Men
Irish Travellers Father and Son
Irish Travellers Getting Ready for the Fair
Irish Travellers Family Time
Irish Travellers Tweens
Irish Travellers Through the Caravan Window
Irish Travellers Crying in Burberry
Irish Travellers Bath Time