Human migration, the movement of people from one place to another, is an age-old cycle throughout the world. Photojournalist Kadir van Lohuizen traveled from the southern tip of South America to the far reaches of Alaska on the North American continent to explore migration in the Americas. What he found both met and defied stereotypes, which he reported on a website and an app called Via Panam. Here, fisherman walk the dock in Puerto Torro, Chile, the southernmost settlement in the hemisphere, located on Isla Navarino, just north of Cape Horn.
In its last census in , the hamlet recorded just 36 people. A ferry serves the town once a month. Navarino Island attracts labor migrants. Its windswept grasslands are perfect for sheep and cattle ranching. Most inhabitants in this region are from the north. They work as gold diggers or as seasonal laborers in the wool industry, which has become a vital part of the Chilean economy.
During the shearing season they travel from one ranch to another to shear sheep. The arrival of immigrants had dramatic consequences for the native population like the Yaman, the Ona and the Alacaluts, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years. Most of them were killed by the settlers, starved to death or expelled from land that now belongs to multinational companies like Benetton.
Only a few communities survived. The presence of mainly male laborers in industries like ranching and fishing led to the growth of brothels in this southernmost city. Women come from as far away as Colombia or the Dominican Republic to try to make some money.
The Siglo XX mine in Bolivia opened in , attracting thousands of workers from all over. But after tin prices fell and the market petered out, the government closed the nationalized mine in The workers formed cooperatives and took it over. Today a few thousand people work again in this mine. They have three children, one of whom is pictured. Traditionally coca leaves are chewed, but they are also the most important ingredient in the production of cocaine.
