Los Ninis: Mexico's Lost Generation
A former school drop-out, Esteban Ruiseco is the type of teenager Mexico's drug cartels prey upon. And he might have joined them, if the clarinet hadn't given him hope for a better future.
Juarez is one of the most violent cities in the world and home to many Ninis, young people with little education and no jobs. One youth found refuge in an orchestra.
Staggering crime rates and economic decline in Ciudad Juarez offer little prospect for young people with no jobs and no education. Many of them are turning to drug cartels for work.
With at least 48,000 casualties in the last five years, the drug war in Mexico has resulted in widespread desensitization to the violence that permeates daily life.
Pulitzer Center grantee Dominic Bracco II speaks with KERA News about the impact of Mexico's bloody drug war on those living in Ciudad Juarez.
Increased border security after the 9/11 attacks has led to an upsurge in violent crime, drug use and economic distress in Mexico.
Gateways
Grantee
Susana Seijas is a freelance journalist and CBS News’ freelance TV producer based in Mexico City. Previously, she was a Knight International Journalism Fellow at Televisa, where she trained Mexican...
Grantee
Dominic Bracco II specializes in documenting the effects of Mexican and North American policies on the border region where he was raised. He has degrees in journalism and Spanish literature from The...