Public Project
Post 67
With no connection to the American military, I had no idea what to expect when walking into a social hub for veterans, but felt drawn to the welcoming, complicated environment. Over several years, I developed relationships with regulars, and despite encountering stereotypical views and casual bigotry — particularly toward immigrants — found belonging.
The space challenged the boundaries of what I thought I knew about American patriotism, veterans, and conservative ideals. As a first-generation Cuban American and gay woman, I was aware of the distance between myself and the world of the American Legion. Founded in 1919 with the goal of fostering Americanism and providing support for veterans, the Legion’s Posts have over history served as havens for conservative, right-wing ideologies.
However, North Miami’s American Legion Post 67 offers an unexpected contrast to the Legion’s broader national identity. With its doors open to the public, Post 67 has invited inclusivity. And while expansion has been essential in keeping the Post alive amidst dwindling memberships, it has also exposed members to the tensions that come with navigating vastly different experiences of the world.
It mattered that I was in the room, and with my camera I captured the complexities of the larger issues facing society as we become more and more divided, and more and more unwilling to engage with each other across those divides.
This photo essay captures a unique and multifaceted portrait of Post 67, set in a diverse, working-class of about 60,000 that is 50% Black and 30% Hispanic. Many military families moved there at the end of World War II as a fresh start. About a quarter of its residents live in poverty.
Through images I document the layered contradictions. I reflect on the unspoken nuances of belonging, identity, and change within a community that grapples with its history while adapting to a polarized, multicultural America.
I capture both the celebratory and heavy interactions of this community rooted in tradition and confronted with evolution. What began as a simple curiosity transformed into a deeper investigation into the nuances of acceptance, difference, and what personal connections can transcend ideological chasms.
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