Why do people migrate? Where to and for what reasons? What is the fate of the different indigenous populations in the Americas? In Via PanAm, Kadir van Lohuizen investigates the roots of migration in the Americas, a phenomenon which is as old as humanity but is increasingly portrayed as a new threat to the Western world.

Via PanAm follows Van Lohuizen’s footsteps from Tierra del Fuego in southern Chile to Prudhoe Bay, northern Alaska. Travelling almost 40,000 km along the Pan-American Highway and crossing through 15 countries, Van Lohuizen visualized the stories of the communities, regions and societies he encountered. His work reflects a diverse range of migration experiences both historic and contemporary.

Although migration is as old as humanity, many people in Europe and the USA see it as a threat and a new phenomenon. Yet, the Americas are continents shaped by colonialism and migration. The indigenous population has been either extinguished or sidetracked. People are mainly of European (or African) descent. Bolivia is the exception with an indigenous population that forms the majority. The country elected a native president, a novum in Latin America in 500 years.

People move all over the continent. Looking for work, a different life, a better life and fleeing because of conflict. Sometimes people cross a border for these, often they move to other regions in their own country. For this Kadir van Lohuizen will travel from Tierra del Fuego (Chile) to Alaska and will use the Pan-American Highway as a point of reference. In the end it is the road that people mainly use to move on in life.

While working on various subjects around the globe, Van Lohuizen found that migration often played a role in many issues and in many different forms, be it climate change, war and conflict or economical issues. As a photojournalist specialised in covering long-term projects, this inspired him to devote a project entirely to the subject of migration and to make a visual investigation of all its aspects.

The Americas in particular are interesting continents because of their long history of migration and the recent political developments in both South and North America. Whereas most people think of migration as people moving from South to North, most movement actually takes place between neighbouring countries and between different regions within a country. By investigating these movements and visualising them, Via PanAm wants to contribute to a better understanding of migration and the Americas.

The photo stories reflect the complexity of migration – the diverse motivations for coming and going, the struggles and successes, the economic, political, social and environmental contexts, as well as the intimate moments and personal stories – some touching upon current issues, some on topics long forgotten but not resolved.

Via PanAm was nominated for the Canon Zilveren Camera Award 2012 and 2013 and for the Dutch Doc Award 2013.

This project was made possible with support from the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the Foundation for Special Journalistic Projects, the Sem Presser Foundation and Nikon Europe.

Additionally, support from the many backers on Emphas.is and IS Magazine has been vital to the realization of the project.