Familias Separadas / Se Siente el Miedo (I Feel the Fear)

Michelle Angela Ortiz is continuing her commitment to addressing immigrant rights with Familias Separadas. She has created a series of stenciled portraits and phrases derived from interviews with immigrants living in Philadelphia that have been directly affected by deportations. The stencils are being made in collaboration with the JUNTOS youth group and placed in key locations throughout the city. The recorded oral histories are available online for the public to access.

Se Siente el Miedo is the third project site. The artwork depicts Cruz, who rides his bicycle to work everyday through Washington Avenue. Due to the financial needs of his family, he left his home in Mexico at age 14 to be on his own and start working. He has worked hard through 20 plus years in the United States. While working one day, he was detained by ICE, completed his 4 month probation, and had to report himself for one full year to their offices. His portrait lays on Washington Avenue along the pathway of the 9th Street Market, a home to immigrant families for over 100 years. He speaks about how this city was a symbol of freedom and now it feels more like a prison.

Despite making up only 75% of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., Latinos represent 97% of immigrants deported. This criminalization of Latinos has created a deportation machine that profits off the detention and deportation of the immigrant community.

This project was part of Open Source, a citywide exhibition that brought 14 extraordinary artists from around the world to Philadelphia. They worked with Mural Arts Philadelphia and guest curator Pedro Alonzo to create a new series of public artworks that explore and illuminate Philadelphia’s diverse urban identity.

Location Note: Temporary project no longer on view at this location.