"Taking photos is my way of understanding the world around me. As a photographer, I'm interested in understanding how things change when I photograph them." Pedro Letria I first visited Lowell as a visiting photography professor at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. I was far from imagining that I would encounter a neighborhood with such a strong sense of identity. This community was created by people who left their homeland out of necessity, seeking a better life. Upon arriving, they dedicated themselves to keeping their cultural heritage alive. Over four months, they offered me a firsthand account of what is swept under the rug in Portugal, my homeland: how life on the islands of the Azores and Madeira has, over the centuries, limited opportunities for the future. For generations, the islanders looked westward, to the Americas, instead of eastward, to the continent, searching for a path. They told me how Lowell embraced Portuguese immigrant workers and shared with me their pride in their contribution to building America's industrial power. Families opened their doors and inundated me with photo albums, sketching stories of struggles and successes. […] When I select Through photographs, I construct a story. If tomorrow I were to choose photos again, I would probably choose some that I hadn't selected before. This book is a selection of 50 choices. They may be misleading or somber to another person, just as they are faithful to my lived experience amidst a warmly welcoming population. As I photographed in Lowell without a premeditated agenda, I chose these photographs for their visual interest and for representing my feeling of belonging to such a gracious community. These photographs are my tribute to the hope, aspirations, and achievements of all those who landed on the American shore in search of a better life. [Pedro Letria]