Photograph courtesy of David Zeiger/Displaced Films
In the late 1980s, photographer David Zeiger returned to Atlanta after living in Detroit for three years and found a different world. Driving around Doraville and Chamblee, Zeiger was intrigued by Latino and Asian immigrants creating their own communities in the suburbs. Mustache Mike’s, a local bar Zeiger knew well, had changed its name to Mustacho Miguel’s, adding ranchero music but keeping its dive-y appeal. Zeiger started work on a documentary about the area, which became PBS’s Displaced in the New South, and discovered the diverse Doraville Boxing Club tucked away in a strip mall. “In the gym, you learn to respect each other—otherwise you’re gonna get your ass kicked,” Cesar, the boxer photographed, told him about the gym where Evander Holyfield trained. “Over here, we don’t look at color. We don’t look at race. We learn to respect each other with these gloves.” The gym, now named after late owner Paul Murphy, still stands.
This article originally appeared in our February 2018 issue.
