A tribute to those working towards a better tomorrow, today.
The New Americans is a partnership between artist Vincent Valdez and the ACLU of Texas' artist-in-residence program. Valdez is creating a series of drawings over ten months documenting scenes, faces, and communities around Texas and across the United States. The artist aims to record — and remind others — of the ongoing, united effort and resistance shared by people across contemporary America. Like a stubborn pulse in a struggling heart, these are The New Americans.
If you're inspired by someone whom you define as a New American, nominate them through this form.
Download the Drawings
Drawings can be downloaded and distributed within communities, classrooms, organizations, and other public forums to inform and inspire others.
Drawings will be updated regularly — check back frequently!
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"Hermann Park, Houston"Sunday, June 8, 2025, around 2:30 p.m. CT. Houston. Painting in the studio. FaceTime call from Josiah and Jesse in Los Angeles. Lots of noise, could not hear them, so they held up the screen and showed me instead. Massive crowd of protestors, young and old, marching through downtown and onto the 101 freeway. Ten minutes later, I heard sounds outside my door. Poked my head out. It was like witnessing a tsunami in slow motion, pouring into the streets. Threw down my brushes and walked out to join them. Solidarity across America. |
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"From a Protest Sign Seen in Texas"I remember seeing this protest sign during a massive peaceful protest for workers’ and immigrants’ rights at Hermann Park in Houston on May 1. The May Day march was simultaneously occurring in Los Angeles and other cities across America. I was struck by the solidarity and the presence of many faces and backgrounds marching in unity. The first major May Day march in the United States occurred on May 1, 1886, in Chicago, as part of a nationwide strike for the eight-hour workday. |
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“Sunday Morning Telephone Pole”I encountered this poster on a Sunday morning in the Montrose district of Houston. I finished my breakfast, began walking down the sidewalk, and was struck by this small poster randomly stapled onto a leaning phone pole. I interpreted it not only for my personal interaction with it, but I tried to visualize and redefine it as a collective moment felt across America and beyond in the twenty-first century. |
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“Dolores Huerta”At 95 years, Dolores Huerta is a powerful force and presence. I photographed her at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art while sharing my exhibition with her, "El Chavez Ravine." I felt it was important to begin this project by depicting a remarkable visionary leader for communities across America, as well as by paying homage to the previous generations who came before. Dolores serves as an important symbol and reminder to us all: These struggles in America are not new. They have been inherited, endured, and persevered for many generations. |
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All drawings are © Vincent Valdez, 2025-26. They are provided solely for non-commercial, public educational use, and may not be modified. Any reproduction, modification, distribution, sale, or use for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited without the prior written consent of the artist.