Photos: Contributions of California immigrants often go unseen, underappreciated

This article was produced by Capital & Main. It is published here with permission.

Immigrant workers from Guatemala, Honduras and Venezuela wear respirators and coveralls as they restore Los Angeles homes damaged by the devastating January 2025 wildfires.

A Korean-born nurse in a surgical mask and gloves visits a patient’s home to tend to their post-surgery wounds.

Sawdust flies through the air and onto José Martinez’s hands and shirtsleeves as he builds furniture, doors and kitchen cabinets at his Mexican family’s home outside of San Diego.

These are among the powerful, intimate and revealing images in an immersive photography exhibition called “The Californians Powering America,” presented by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, Magnum Photos and the L.A. County Library.

From agriculture and food service to health care and disaster response, America’s economy depends on immigrant labor. But too often, the contributions of immigrant communities remain unseen and underappreciated.

At a time when immigrants are under increasing threat, this powerful collection of visual stories from photographers Matt Black, Sabiha Çimen and Yael Martinez showcases the humanity of those on whom the nation relies for their often thankless, low-wage work.

“The Californians Powering America” is on display at the San Fernando Library and La Cañada Flintridge Library through March 31 and is free and open to the public during library hours.

Capital & Main is publishing a selection of photos from the visual stories featured in the exhibit:

A woman applies hair color to another woman's hair outdoors at dusk. They are under warm string lights, creating a calm and intimate atmosphere. — The photographer’s aunt Mercedes and cousin Camila at home in El Cajon. (Photo by Yael Martinez/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

El Cajon: My family’s immigration story

Yael Martinez first traveled from Mexico to El Cajon in San Diego County in 2007.

A 21-year-old immigrant with dreams of earning enough money to buy a camera, he went to work for his uncle, José Martinez, who had more than 25 years of construction experience.

In August 2025, after President Donald Trump’s second term began with a strict immigration policy, the photographer returned to visit his family who remained. He documented the stories of his Mexican migrant family, their lives and labor.

A hand covered in sawdust guides a wooden plank through a table saw. Sunlight filters through dust particles, creating a focused, industrious atmosphere. — Yael Martínez’s uncle, José Martinez, crafts furniture, doors and kitchen cabinets at his home in El Cajon. (Photo by Yael Martinez/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

South Korean nurses in Los Angeles

In this intimate portrait of Korean nurses in Los Angeles, Sabiha Çimen documents the quiet labor in caregiving to reveal powerful stories of resilience, cultural identity and solidarity.

Photographed in July 2025 alongside their patients in daily life, in home-care settings and social gatherings, these portraits reflect both the physical labor and emotional investment that immigrant workers bring to Californian domestic life.

A person in blue scrubs sits on a chair in front of a fashion poster featuring stylish models. The scene conveys contrast and casualness. — Sumin Lee, a circulating nurse, came to Los Angeles in 2024. She is responsible for keeping patients free of infection after surgery. (Photo by Sabiha Çimen/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

A caregiver wearing a mask and gloves tends to an elderly woman seated in a wheelchair at home. The scene conveys care and support in a cozy setting. — **Left:** Nurse Youngsup Lim visits patients in their homes to clean their wounds after surgery. **Center:** Nurse Yesol Hong holds her baby. Hong moved to the U.S. when she was 16. Korean nurses, she said, often do the work that other people take credit for. **Right:** Sarah Ko, a mental health nurse practitioner, visits her patient, David, at his home. (Photos by Sabiha Çimen/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

A woman and a child look upward, bathed in warm sunlight. The child wears a white dress with ruffles. The scene conveys a peaceful, hopeful mood. — **Left:** Nurse Youngsup Lim visits patients in their homes to clean their wounds after surgery. **Center:** Nurse Yesol Hong holds her baby. Hong moved to the U.S. when she was 16. Korean nurses, she said, often do the work that other people take credit for. **Right:** Sarah Ko, a mental health nurse practitioner, visits her patient, David, at his home. (Photos by Sabiha Çimen/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

Fire recovery efforts in L.A.

This story by Yael Martinez highlights the vital yet precarious role of immigrant workers in Los Angeles’ recovery from the devastating wildfires of January 2025.

Martinez’s photography showcases Latin American immigrants’ vital contributions to the cleanup and rebuilding efforts as they worked to restore Californians’ burned homes in the summer following the fires.

Elderly man in partial shadow and sunlight, revealing deep lines and a thoughtful expression, suggesting contemplation. Urban background blurred. — **Left:** Ervin, a Guatemalan worker, has been supporting the community since the wildfires in L.A. **Right:** A group of Latin American migrants works on a home damaged by the fires. (Photos by Yael Martinez/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

Two workers in hazmat suits and respirators clean a cluttered room. One is seen through an open door, the other through a window. The scene feels tense. — **Left:** Ervin, a Guatemalan worker, has been supporting the community since the wildfires in L.A. **Right:** A group of Latin American migrants works on a home damaged by the fires. (Photos by Yael Martinez/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

The photographs portrays the solidarity among migrant workers from different backgrounds, the looming threat of mass deportation and what it means when those offering aid to a devastated city are themselves denied support and security.

Person in a protective suit and respirator stands in a cluttered room. Others in similar attire work in the background. The mood is serious.

Muslim immigrants in Los Angeles

From restaurateurs and shop managers to local business owners, Sabiha Çimen explores the contributions of Muslim immigrants in Los Angeles whose integration into American life has come with great sacrifice, and whose contributions have sustained so many in California and beyond.

Man in a blue shirt stands confidently, draped with a vibrant red patterned rug. Background of stacked, elaborate rugs and a small desk with an American flag. — **Left:** Hamed Moradi of Naz Rug store also works as a trainer at a gym. He came from Iran looking for opportunities and now has permanent residency in the U.S. His work gives him a sense of safety and belonging, and a way to share the rich traditions and artistry of where he grew up. **Center:** A woman works in Lebanese restaurant Forn Al Hara in Anaheim. **Right:** Waikato Wadassi, born in Palestine and the mother of three children, has for 20 years run a grocery store that takes part in the Women, Infants, and Children program that provides food assistance to low-income shoppers. She works 12 to 14 hours a day, and 90% of her customers are Spanish-speaking. (Photos by Sabiha Çimen/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

A woman in a headscarf and apron prepares pastries in an industrial kitchen. She fills dough with stuffing, conveying focus and culinary skill. — **Left:** Hamed Moradi of Naz Rug store also works as a trainer at a gym. He came from Iran looking for opportunities and now has permanent residency in the U.S. His work gives him a sense of safety and belonging, and a way to share the rich traditions and artistry of where he grew up. **Center:** A woman works in Lebanese restaurant Forn Al Hara in Anaheim. **Right:** Waikato Wadassi, born in Palestine and the mother of three children, has for 20 years run a grocery store that takes part in the Women, Infants, and Children program that provides food assistance to low-income shoppers. She works 12 to 14 hours a day, and 90% of her customers are Spanish-speaking. (Photos by Sabiha Çimen/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

These stories offer a glimpse inside the lives and businesses of immigrants from India, Iran, Somalia, Palestine, Pakistan and Lebanon to reveal powerful stories of resilience, cultural identity and solidarity.

California’s agricultural industry

Many of California’s farm laborers are undocumented, and a nationwide immigration crackdown has sent scores of them into hiding.

A vast, barren field stretches to the horizon under a clear sky. Parallel furrows run symmetrically with power lines on the left, evoking solitude and endlessness. — Tomato beds line a field in Mendota. Agriculture remains one of California’s largest industries, generating more than $50 billion each year. (Photo by Matt Black/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

Matt Black’s photography features barren landscapes that were previously nurtured by immigrant farmworkers.

These empty spaces illustrate the impact of the Trump administration’s immigration policies on a massive industry and a workforce under threat.

Black and white image of a solitary heron by a canal, flanked by a dirt road and barren fields. Distant power lines enhance the serene, rural landscape. — After federal immigration raids targeted Central Valley farmworkers, many employers are concerned with having a sufficient workforce to plant and harvest crops, like those seen here in Mendota. (Photo by Matt Black/Magnum Photos for Economic Hardship Reporting Project)

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