Photographer Carlos Jaramillo (previously featured here) finds parallels between his current home city of Los Angeles, and McAllen, Texas, the small border town where he was born. Jaramillo’s parents are both immigrants—his mother is Mexican and his father Colombian. In Los Angeles, he found a comfortable familiarity in the abundance of Mexican people and culture woven throughout the city. The photos that populate his recently published photobook, “Tierra Del Sol” (Pomegranate Press, 2022), document “El Clásico de las Américas,” an annual weeklong charreria that takes place in Pico Rivera, California.

“I became intrigued to learn more about this event due to its cultural associations — in Mexico, charreadas are a prized cultural rodeo-like sport, which I had heard of but never experienced growing up,” he explains. “My intention was to show the charreria through my perspective as a first generation Mexican American. Falling in love with the colors, outfits, and gear, I decidedly set up a portrait studio to document the unique details of each person, highlighting their beauty and power. The result of which is a series of portraits, mostly focused on the young adults and teenagers, who are so heavily engaged in the event.”

See more from “Tierra Del Sol” below!