While living in New York, Riis experienced poverty and became a police reporter writing about the quality of life in the slums. He attempted to alleviate the bad living conditions of poor people by exposing their living conditions to the middle and upper classes. since he was an immigrant it probably put him into the same shoes as these images, without even having to empathize. its human nature to want better for yourself, and your family and friends, so this is what he hopes to do, and it worked, he sparked a progressive era for the "slums".
