From humble beginnings of drawing figures on a dry erase board, to having her work featured in national art exhibitions, artist Analinda Gonzalez portrays her own lived experiences within the U.S. immigration system through her artwork. Her pieces spark dialogue among her audience about the injustices of separation and conflict that many families encounter when faced with deportation.
Gonzalez is originally from Los Angeles, where her mother, a U.S. born citizen, met her father, a Mexican immigrant. When she was four years old, her father was abruptly taken into custody for living in the U.S. as an undocumented citizen. He received a 10-year immigration ban, but was deported from the U.S. for 19 years.
Her father’s court date to receive legal residency was scheduled right after the tragedy of 9/11, resulting in a harsher enforcement of his ban, since the current state of…
