With the unwanted - Zoom Photoblog

The girls' provocative dresses and toy cigarettes, the boys' martial poses, they say so much: The Irish Traveler's childhood is short, they have to grow up early. Because the community wants them to get married and have children. Because they have to harden themselves against insults on the street. American rider Jamie Johnson took these photos at the Ballinasloe Horse Fair and Festival. Here in the west of Ireland, the Irish Travelers meet every October, trade in horses and dogs, match their daughters and sons. Johnson has long been concerned with the socialization of young women. But the photographer from L.A. had to be patient with the travelers – the community is reluctant to open up.

30,000 Irish Travelers live in Ireland; they have been confronted with racism for decades. In the 1960s, the government wanted to take their children away from them. Today the media often reduces them to negative things like family feuds. Local residents, on the other hand, defend themselves against stopping places with their hands and feet. The exclusion has left its mark. Unemployment and suicide rates among Travelers are high, and life expectancy is ten years below the Irish average. After all, they have finally been recognized as a separate ethnic group in Ireland since last year. Travelers are now hoping for more acceptance. Jamie Johnson's photos may also contribute to this. Because they simply offer an intimate glimpse into a community that is tight-knit and proud.

More information about the photographer and her work can be found on her website