Yves Gomes: photo story
In the weeks leading up to his pending deportation on August 13, 2010, Yves Gomes had a lot on his mind. But he did all he could do enjoy what he thought were his final days in the United States before being sent on a plane to India. He hung out with friends and family while still holding out hope that his appeals for a deferral would be granted. On August 10, Yves and his family got the news that he would not be deported. After the making of his We Are America video, photographer Sara Lewkowicz followed Yves during an anxious week in which he couldn’t bare to start packing his suitcase.
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- Yves Gomes is a 17-year-old living in Silver Spring, MD. He graduated from Paint Branch High School in June 2010, where he had a 3.8 GPA, ran track, and played coed volleyball. He likes playing videogames and basketball with his friends, and listening to rap music. He is also an undocumented immigrant.
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- After his mother and father were deported (to India and Bangladesh) in 2009, Yves was allowed to stay in the US so that he could graduate high school. In that time, he and his brother Aaron (who was born in the US), moved in with their Henry and Dominica, who came to the US in the 1970s and were able to become naturalized citizens.
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- A rosary hangs from the rearview mirror in Yves' SUV, which originally belonged to his father. The Gomes family is deeply relgious and turned to God often when it looked certain Yves would be deported.
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- Yves looks out of a window at his Great Aunt Dominica's garden.
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- Yves was set to be deported on August 13, 2010. He spent what he thought were his last few days in the US hanging out with his closest friends.
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- At his neighborhood park, Yves prepares to do a few pull-ups. He has spent his whole life living in the same neighborhood in southern Maryland.
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- "Come on man, you know how to do this!" Yves, who has always excelled academically, has spent the summer tutoring friends in difficult subjects like pre-calculus and SAT math. "I was blessed by God with the ability to do well in school. Not everyone is as lucky as I am in that way." Yves graduated with a 3.8 GPA, which, coupled with high SAT scores, earned him acceptance to the University of Maryland at College Park. He was unable to enroll because of his impending deportation order.
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- Yves and his friend, Kevin, play video games in Kevin's basement with friends. In the days before he was set to be deported, Yves spent a good deal of his time hanging out with his friends - eating and playing video games or basketball. "I'm just spending as much time with my friends as possible. They're the ones that are keeping me positive, keeping me hopeful. I really have the best friends a kid could ask for."
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- Yves waits to speak to his fellow parishoners at St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring, MD, to ask them for their support in stopping his deportation.
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- Yves walks back to his seat after speaking to members of his church, asking for petitions and prayers to stop his deportation.
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- In the days leading up to his deportation date Yves continued spending most of his summer evenings playing basketball with his friends - until dimming court lights or phone calls from parents forced them to abandon their game and return home.
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- A to-do list hangs on the refrigerator in the Gomes house.
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- Yves looks heavenward moments after being officially told of his deportation being deferred for two years.
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- Harold, Dominica, Henry, and Yves call family and friends in Maryland, New York, and Calcutta, India to tell them the news of Yves' deferral.
