Antoinette Samson and her children Eujon, 3, and Brian, 13, have made a porch of sorts in the garage of their temporary home. After several hours of calling and being put on hold, Samson has finally reached a live FEMA representative. Since she has gotten incorrect information before, she’s not sure whether to trust the answers she’s hearing. “Don’t get me wrong, I know they weren’t ready for this [disaster],” she says, “…but to me, they’re dragging their feet. We’re not asking for a handout. We want what we deserve as people.”  


All photographs copyright © Joseph Rodriguez; text by Patrice Pascual