Large-scale portraits by Venezuelan artist Oscar B. Castillo to celebrate immigrant New Yorkers in Times Square today through Sep. 7
Photos and Video Can Be Found HERE
New York, NY – The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), in partnership with Times Square Arts and Photoville, today launched its third annual New York Proud campaign with a public art installation in Times Square, bringing the stories of immigrant New Yorkers into one of the city’s most visible public spaces.
New York Proud is a citywide public art initiative that celebrates the immigrants whose contributions are essential to New York’s culture, economy and identity. Through large-scale portraits and personal stories displayed in public gathering places, the campaign invites New Yorkers to see immigrants as neighbors and community members whose stories are inseparable from the story of New York itself.
As immigrant communities face mounting hostility and uncertainty at the federal level, New Yorkers are pushing back by making visible the people, stories, and contributions that have long defined New York City.
“New York Proud is about making visible what has always been true: immigrants are New York,” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. “At a time when immigrant communities are too often targeted or reduced to political talking points, we are putting real New Yorkers—their faces, their stories and their contributions—at the center of some of our city’s most public spaces. Immigrants shape our neighborhoods, strengthen our economy and enrich our culture. This campaign celebrates that truth and reminds us that New York is strongest when every community can see itself reflected in the city we share.”
The campaign features striking portraits by Venezuelan artist and documentary photographer Oscar B. Castillo, capturing the experiences and identities of immigrant New Yorkers from communities across the city. Beginning with the Times Square installation, New York Proud will bring these portraits to public spaces across New York City throughout the fall, transforming familiar gathering places into opportunities to encounter the people and communities that shape New York.
“As a Venezuelan artist, I understand how powerful it can be to see our lives and communities represented in the places that define a city,” said Oscar B. Castillo, New York Proud campaign photographer. “These portraits are about dignity, belonging and the everyday people who make New York what it is. By bringing their stories into public spaces, I hope New Yorkers will pause, look closely and recognize both their neighbors and themselves.”
“Immigrants power New York City’s communities, culture, and economy, bringing our city to life every day. The New York Immigration Coalition’s New York Proud public art initiative showcases the contributions of immigrant New Yorkers, helping to ensure their stories are seen and told everywhere. As immigrant communities continue to face challenges, attacks, and uncertainty from the federal government, it remains imperative that we uplift their essential role in our city and reaffirm our commitment to their safety and well-being,” said Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Faiza N. Ali.
“New York City is a city shaped by immigrants. Our unique strength comes from the diversity of those who choose to build their lives, raise their families, start businesses, create art, and pursue their dreams here. At a moment when our immigrant communities are being targeted and mistreated, this campaign reminds us that immigrants are New Yorkers, and their stories are New York stories. I stand with the New York Immigration Coalition in celebrating the workers and families who contribute directly to the economic, cultural, and social fabric of our great city,” said Councilmember Carl Wilson, District 3.
“New York is living proof of the promise that has drawn generations of people to America: that you can come from anywhere, work hard, build something, raise a family, and become part of the story of this country,” said Council Member Virginia Maloney, Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Economic Development. “Immigrant New Yorkers have built businesses, cared for our families, strengthened our neighborhoods, and powered the industries that make this city the economic and cultural capital of the world. The New York Proud campaign puts faces and stories to that extraordinary contribution, and reminds us that one of New York’s greatest strengths has always been the people who choose to make this city their home,” said Councilmember Virginia Maloney, District 4.
“Immigrants are not outsiders to New York: they are New York. They are the people who keep our neighborhoods running, our businesses open, and our culture thriving. At a time when immigrant New Yorkers are being scapegoated, we need to tell the truth about who we are: a city built by people from everywhere, and stronger because of it. I’m proud to stand with the New York Immigration Coalition in celebrating the New Yorkers who make our city what it is,” said Assembly Member Amanda N. Septimo, District 84.
“New York Proud reminds us that the story of our state is written in the lives of the people who choose to build, create, work, dream, and make a home here,” said State Senator Robert Jackson, District 31 “I am proud to join the New York Immigration Coalition in launching this new chapter of a campaign that puts immigrant New Yorkers where they belong: at the center of New York’s story. At a time when too many seek to reduce immigrants to political arguments, these portraits insist on something more powerful—the dignity of being seen, the truth of belonging, and the countless ways immigrant communities make New York stronger every day.”
The 2026 New York Proud installations include:
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- Manhattan: Times Square (Pedestrian Plaza on Broadway between 47th and 48th Streets, New York, NY 10036) – Aug. 28 - Sep. 7
- Bronx: Mill Pond Park (Exterior St & E 150th St, Bronx, NY 10451) – Sep. 10 - Oct. 5
- Queens: Queens Museum (New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY 11368) – Sep. 28 - Nov. 2
- Brooklyn: The Plaza at 300 Ashland (85 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217) – Oct. 6 - Oct. 28
To learn more about New York Proud, visit www.immigrantsareny.org.