One Mexican immigrant has dedicated his life to documenting Latino history in Arizona

Corrections and clarifications: A previous version of this article misidentified the military branch in which José Muñoz enlisted. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

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José Muñoz was just a teenager when he first developed a liking for photography. But it was in his early 20s when he fell in love with his skills with a camera, capturing images of Latino soldiers overseas during the Vietnam War.

Since then, he has dedicated his life to documenting the jovial and trivial moments that have defined Latinos and their history in Arizona.

Muñoz, 69, has photographed everything from a 15-year-old celebrating his birthday in the backyard of his home to the anguished faces of immigrants in the times of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, former Gov. Jan Brewer and the controversial anti-immigrant SB 1070 law.

An immigrant himself, Muñoz is well-known among the Latino community of the Valley, having captured the faces of many generations of Latino families with his lens.

“When I picked up a camera for the first time, I never imagined that taking photos would be a very important part of my life, but I soon found out it would be,” Muñoz told The Arizona Republic.

A veteran turns to photography

Muñoz was born in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just on the other side of El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 26, 1952.

In 1955, he migrated to Arizona, and was raised by his grandparents in the town of Picacho after his parents' death.

Muñoz started at Picacho Elementary School and Eloy Intermediate School, before he moved with his family to Phoenix. Soon after receiving his diploma from Alhambra High School, located off Camelback Road and 37th Avenue, he made a decision that would mark his life forever and enlisted in the United States Armed Forces.

In 1973 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was deployed to Germany during the Vietnam War.

According to Muñoz, soldiers he was stationed with would ask him to take their photo as they posed with their M-16 rifles.

Muñoz did woodwork while he was stationed in Germany, but his love of photography was one he had developed years prior.

He carried his Nikon camera with him everywhere, including overseas, and with it he immortalized moments in time of U.S. soldiers of all backgrounds, but especially soldiers like him.

“There were a lot of Mexican and Latino soldiers and they all wanted their pictures taken,” he said.

Four years later, he returned to Arizona and decided to take his hobby more seriously and decided to study photography at Phoenix College. He graduated in 1980 with a degree in Art Photography.

He took to freelancing, photographing family parties, weddings and quinceañeras in the Valley.

That work expanded into covering political and community events, following the work of organizations that focused heavily on promoting civic engagement among Latino Arizonans, like the League of United Latin American Citizens of Arizona and the César Chávez Foundation.

In 1995 he founded his own studio, Photography By José Muñoz, with help from his wife. He said it was a prosperous business during a time when professional photography mostly involved developing film in a darkroom.

"Today's digital cameras make your work a lot easier and you get the photos instantly," Muñoz said. "But if you ask me which is better, I will certainly tell you that the method used before, when developing photos was an art and the images came out in better quality."

Over the years, along with his business, Muñoz has worked as a freelance photographer for various Latino-focused media outlets in the Phoenix area, such as Cambio magazine, ASU Magazine, La Voz (The Arizona Republic's Spanish-language sister publication), Latino Future and Prensa Hispana.

Documenting immigrants in a time of SB 1070

One of the times of greatest labor abundance for him was in 2010, when former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law. The law, titled the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, made being in the country illegally a state crime. It also made it illegal to fail to carry immigration papers; barred people from hiring or knowingly transporting unauthorized immigrants; and allowed police to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally, among other provisions.

At the time, many went into hiding, Muñoz recalled. For him, however, it was a time when business was better than ever.

"It was a bittersweet time for me because I had a lot of work, but at the same time it hurt me to see how immigrants were being treated in Arizona ... I didn't like how the Republicans talked about Mexicans. (Immigrants) were hiding; they feared leaving their homes out of fear of being caught and deported," he said.

At that time, many immigrants celebrated major life events locked up in their homes, hosting family and friends in their backyards. They were very discreet parties from birthdays to weddings and quinceañeras, Muñoz said.

Where today these kinds of celebrations are seen in public spaces — photo sessions and parties taking place at major parks and recreational areas — then it was uncommon, he said.

“I went to their homes to photograph them. They didn't want to do big events because they were afraid that Joe Arpaio's agents would arrive. It was sad to see that," Muñoz said.

Documenting the lives of Latinos through those difficult times has been a priority for him. Even during the pandemic when, unlike 2010, business wasn't going so well for him due to a decrease in gatherings.

It is through photographs that he contributes to the community, dedicating most of his life to capturing unforgettable moments for Latino families in Phoenix.

Johnny Lozoya, who has known Muñoz for more than 20 years, said that Muñoz is a person with a big heart who likes to help the Latino community through his photography.

“I have witnessed his activism. He is that type of person who, in addition to being a good friend, like to help 'la raza' (the people), people who need it most," Lozoya said.

He has seen that help dozens of times when it comes to his own career, Lozoya said. Also a photographer in the Valley, Lozoya has been able to contract projects and gigs because Muñoz constantly recommends him to others. "Good things have come out of the great friendship," he said.

Reach La Voz editor Javier Arce at javier.arce@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @javierarce33.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mexican immigrant dedicates his life to documenting Latinos in Arizona