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In the heart of Bushwick, community members, organizers, artists, and elected officials gathered to unveil a towering, multi-story mural honoring immigrant street vendors; workers whose labor animates New York City’s streets and whose stories are woven into its identity. The mural stands as both a tribute and a declaration, reaffirming the city’s commitment to protecting immigrant families at a moment when that promise feels especially urgent this holiday season.
The mural, led by Evergreen Initiative at The Action Lab in partnership with Make the Road New York, Hands Off NYC, and renowned muralist Andre Trenier, stands as a bold cultural intervention amid escalating attacks, demonization, and unlawful targeting of immigrant New Yorkers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); practices that have led to family separations and community harm.
Towering over the corner of Gates Avenue and Irving Avenue, the mural centers dignity, resilience, and future generations. Inspired by the street vendors, the mural features a woman vendor centered in resilience, dignity, alongside a child representing the generations to come. Bilingual text reading “Protect Families. Protect Immigrants.” anchors the piece, alongside visual elements as a nod to the powerful work of the Hands Off NYC coalition and the meaning of the Statue of Liberty and its enduring promise to immigrant New Yorkers.
