Four Latina veterans from across the Armed Forces will be recognized for their leadership and service to the nation

(Washington, DC) – Friends of the American Latino Museum (FRIENDS) announced today that among the awardees at the 2018 American Latino Influencer Awards (ALIAs) ceremony will be four recipients of the Valor Award, an award to honor Latino and Latina veterans whose sacrifices for our nation and our freedoms embody the legacy of Latinx military service in the United States. The awardees, Ret. Major General Angela Salinas, Colonel Ivette Falto-Heck, PhD., Rear Admiral Christina Alvarado, and Brigadier General Irene Zoppi, will be honored at the ceremony on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The four awardees represent the courage and strength of Latina servicemembers:

  • Ret. Maj.-Gen. Angela Salinas began her military career as an enlisted Marine in 1974. She earned the distinction as the longest serving woman in the history of the Marine Corps, and the time of her retirement was both the senior ranking woman and the senior ranking Hispanic in the Corps.
  • Col. Ivette Falto-Heck, PhD. was commissioned as Second Lieutenant through the US Air Force (USAF) ROTC program in 1978. She spent the next 25 years serving on several space defense jobs throughout the country, including as Assistant Professor of Physics at the USAF Academy.
  • Rear Admiral Christina Alvarado was the first nurse to command Naval Reserve Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) Dallas One, a commissioned unit whose mission is expeditionary medicine. She has held a variety of leadership positions including officer in charge, executive officer, administrative officer and training officer.
  • Brig. Gen. Irene Zoppi is the Deputy Commanding General – Support under the 200th Military Police Command at Fort Meade, Maryland, and has held numerous leadership positions throughout her career. As a civilian, she serves as a Program Director for the National Intelligence University under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.  

Presented by Target, the ALIA’s recognizes Latinos and Latinas who have had a significant impact on our nation’s culture and society and whose stories are representative of the contributions of our community throughout history. The awards also receive generous support from Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc, AARP, and Warner Media.

The event will take place on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at The Intercontinental Hotel, 801 Wharf St., SW, Washington, D.C. 20024. To attend, purchase tickets for the event here. For more information on the ALIAs and FRIENDS, please visit https://americanlatinomuseum.org/.

 


Campaign to create Smithsonian National American Latino Museum honors leading figure in U.S. Latino community

(Washington, DC) – Friends of the American Latino Museum (FRIENDS) announced today that among the honorees at the 2018 annual American Latino Influencer Awards (ALIAs) ceremony will be former United States Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez.

Secretary Gutierrez will be honored at the ceremony on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. The ceremony recognizes Latinos and Latinas who have had a lasting impact on our nation and whose stories are representative of the contributions of Latinos and Latinas throughout our history.

Secretary Gutierrez, born in Havana, Cuba, served as Secretary of Commerce from 2005 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. As secretary, he was instrumental in pushing for immigration reform and was a steadfast advocate for the importance of immigrants’ contributions to the economy. Prior to his confirmation, Secretary Gutierrez served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Kellogg Company – the youngest CEO in the company’s hundred-year history. He currently serves as the Chair of the National Foreign Trade Council and of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Cuba Business Council, and sits on the Boards of the Chamber’s U.S.-India Business Council, the Boao Forum for Asia, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, MetLife, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Viridis Learning, the George W. Bush Institute’s Human Freedom Advisory Council, and Republicans for Immigration Reform. He is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Meridian International Center and the co-Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategic advisory firm.

“Secretary Gutierrez has long been a champion and voice for the American Latino community,” said Estuardo Rodriguez, Executive Director at FRIENDS. “His story illustrates the lasting impact of Latino leaders in business and politics; we are grateful for his ongoing commitment and service to the nation. Stories of trailblazers like Secretary Gutierrez need a permanent home on the National Mall to educate and showcase Latino contributions in American history.”

“Carlos Gutierrez has been a leader in business, government, and the community,” said Danny Vargas, Chairman of the FRIENDS board. “He has been a personal role model to me and many others, and his life serves as an inspiration to all Americans.”

FRIENDS will be honoring Secretary Gutierrez at the ALIAs on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at The Intercontinental Hotel, 801 Wharf St., SW, Washington, D.C. 20024. To attend, purchase tickets for the event here. 

Dozens took to Capitol Hill to press for passage of the National Museum of the American Latino Act on the 7th anniversary of the National Museum of the American Latino Commission Report “To Illuminate the American Story for All”

Contact: Kara Watkins, kwatkins@rabengroup.com, 847-594-2294

(Washington, DC) Members of the Board of the Friends of the American Latino Museum, Chairman’s Advisory Council Members, former Commissioners, and national partners concluded two days of meetings with Congressional Officials and the Office of the Vice President of the United States seeking passage of the National Museum of the American Latino Act, S. 1364 / H.R. 2911, legislation that will authorize the establishment of a Smithsonian Museum dedicated to the impact of American Latino history, art, culture and life on society in the United States.

Advocacy day participants came from all over the nation, representing private business, national non-profit and the arts to emphasize the importance of the legislation that would start the process of securing a location on the National Mall for the site. This week’s efforts also commemorate the seventh anniversary of the bipartisan Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino. Released in 2011, the report articulates the urgency for a museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. as part of the Smithsonian Institution. The current bill was introduced in June 2017 and has strong bipartisan support including Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27), Rep. Jose Serrano (NY-x), Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and many more.

“The Latino story is the American story and vice versa. Our American history lives in our Smithsonian Institution, therefore it is only fitting the Smithsonian serve as the home for a museum commemorating the contributions of American Latinos throughout our nation’s history,” said Danny Vargas, Chairman of Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, the non-profit that has advocated for the museum for more than a decade. “This museum will enable a more complete and accurate telling of American history, which includes crucial yet lesser known stories of innovation, patriotism, heroism and inspirational diligence that played invaluable roles in the making of our great country. Our bipartisan and national support shows that honoring these contributions serves a vital purpose to remember, enlighten and inspire. The Smithsonian National American Latino Museum will make all Americans proud and allow us to learn more about our national heritage.”

An inextricable part of our nation’s heritage, a Smithsonian National American Latino Museum ensures a more complete account of our American history. Attendees of the advocacy campaign are committed to passage in 2018.

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The Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino strives to create a museum in our nation’s capital to educate, inspire and encourage respect and understanding of the richness and diversity of the American Latino experience within the U.S. and its territories by highlighting the contributions made by Latino leaders, pioneers and communities to the American way of life. https://americanlatinomuseum.org/

You may be surprised to learn who Gen. George Washington (a Virginian) invited to march alongside him at the Victory Parade in Philadelphia on July 4, 1783. It was Revolutionary War hero General Bernardo de Galvez. He was Spain’s colonial governor of Cuba and the Louisiana territory (comprising 13 current U.S. states), Commander in Chief of the allied fleet in the Caribbean and Washington’s indispensable ally. This took place nearly 200 years after the founding of Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1610, making it the oldest capital city in the United States and more than two centuries after Saint Augustine, Florida was settled in 1565, the oldest permanent European settlement in mainland USA.

If you’re feeling bad because you didn’t know this, don’t worry, because much of the information about Latino contributions to our nation’s history is missing from our text books and our museums. Latinos have played a vital and formative role throughout our history in every aspect of society. From our military to business to art, science, medicine and more. We would not be the great country we are today were it not for Latino contributions. It is important that we remember and commemorate these contributions.

At 58 million people, roughly 18 percent of the population, Latinos are ethnically and racially diverse, politically varied and leaders in every occupation at every level in our economy. They are farm workers, astronauts, Supreme Court justices and everything in between. They are dedicated to family, faith and share an optimistic view of the future. We should enlighten all Americans about the extraordinary contributions and achievements of this community. Moreover, by 2060, Latinos will make up nearly 30 percent of the population. Thus, if we hope to remain a strong, vibrant and thriving nation, this important segment of the American family needs to be inspired. They must feel acknowledged, engaged and invested in our common future prosperity.

It is for these reasons that the time has come for a National American Latino Museum. A museum devoted to the documentation and explication of Latino life, art, history, and culture. A museum that should be part of the Smithsonian Institution and take its rightful place on the national mall. Fortunately, there is a bill in Congress (H.R.2911/S.1364) that would authorize the creation of such a museum. The bill was introduced last year by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the first Latina in Congress who is retiring at the end of this term.

The effort to create this museum has been on a long road, starting in 1994, when a task force was convened by the secretary of the Smithsonian to examine how well they were portraying the Latino experience in their museums. The task force delivered its report, calling it Willful Neglect; and among the ten recommendations was that there should be an American Latino Museum. Finally, in 2008, President Bush signed into law the creation of a Commission to study the feasibility of creating such a museum. That Commission’s report title was To Illuminate the American Story for All—to benefit everyone; Latinos and non-Latinos, all Americans and those visiting America to get a better sense of who we are as a nation. The Commission came to three basic findings—there is a clear and pressing need for the museum, that it should be part of the Smithsonian Institution as the preserver of our heritage, and that it ought to be on the national mall.

We are proud to support this important legacy initiative and encourage all members of Congress and all our fellow Americans to stand with us to create a National American Latino Museum which allows us to remember, enlighten and inspire.

Comstock represents Virginia’s 10th District and serves on the House Administration Committee which oversees the Smithsonian Institution and is a member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. Vargas is a Virginia business owner who is the Chairman of the Board of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino and former Chairman of the Virginia Board of Workforce Development.

Story originally posted on The Hill.

(Washington DC) – Friends of the American Latino Museum (FRIENDS), the only non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the creation of a National American Latino Museum announced today the creation of the Chairman’s Advisory Council (CAC) with its initial cohort. The CAC will help key individuals involved with FRIENDS remain informed and engaged as they assist the organization in raising visibility and public support for the creation of a Smithsonian National American Latino museum, obtain Congressional backing for legislation and seek financial commitments (both donations and pledges).

“I have been incredibly moved and touched by the outpouring of support for our efforts to create a National American Latino Museum. The wonderful people that make up our Chairman’s Advisory Council will help us achieve our goals of getting Congressional authorization, securing financial donations and pledges, as well as build upon the already massive public demand for this museum,” said Danny Vargas, Board Chairman for FRIENDS. “Working in collaboration with our board of directors, staff, former NMAL Commissioners and many other supporters, the Chairman’s Advisory Council will help ensure we have a more complete account of American history, honor the contributions of Latinos throughout the last 500 years, celebrate the vitality and complexity of today’s American Latino communities, and inspire future generation. Working together, we will soon witness the opening of the National American Latino Museum within the Smithsonian Institution on the National Mall.”

Estuardo Rodriguez, executive director at FRIENDS said “The launch of the CAC will help FRIENDS connect with their Congressional and public supporters to ensure they understand the importance and benefit of creating a National Latino museum. For far too long, contributions of Latino/Hispanic Americans have been underrepresented within the narrative of our American history. We are thrilled to have the commitment of some of our nation’s leading Latino and Latina figures from business, media, museum arena and public service. The CAC members combined influence will help us amplify the critical void this museum will fill within the Smithsonian Institution for the benefit of the more than 30 million visitors to our National Mall every year.”

While additions will be made to the CAC in the future, initial members beginning in 2018 include:

  • Nelson Albareda – CEO, Loud and Live and Former NMAL Commissioner
  • Thaddeus Arroyo – CEO, AT&T Business
  • Hector Barreto – Chairman of The Latino Coalition and Former SBA Administrator
  • Juan Carlos Benitez – President Washington Pacific Economic Development Group and Former Special Counsel, US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division under President Bush
  • Rudy Beserra – Former SVP Coca-Cola and Former Special Assistant to President Reagan
  • Alejandra Castillo – CEO, YWCA and Former National Director, MBDA
  • Luis Fortuno – Former Governor of Puerto Rico
  • Lorraine Garcia-Nakata – Museum & Arts Cultural Specialist, Former NMAL Commissioner
  • Daniel Garza – President, The Libre Initiative
  • Lili Gil-Valetta – CEO & Cofounder CIEN+
  • Carlos Gutierrez – Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Former CEO of Kellogg Company
  • Sean Reyes – Utah Attorney General and Former NMAL Commissioner
  • Manny Rosales – Board Secretary the Latino Coalition
  • Camille Solberg – Former Federal Drug Free Communities Commissioner
  • Al Zapanta – President/CEO of US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Former Chairman of the Reserve Forces Policy Board, Retired Army Major General

(Washington, DC) Today, Friends of the American Latino Museum (FRIENDS) announced that nearly 100 organizations have signed on as official partners of the campaign. Groups represent powerful community organizations and advocacy groups that reach beyond legacy Latino coalitions, representing a broad scope of sectors. Partners include: labor movement leaders AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, and Farmworker Justice; conservative voices the LIBRE Initiative, Hispanic 100, and the Latino Coalition; civil rights advocates the National Urban League, NAACP, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF); as well as business sector organizations including the United States Hispanic Chamber of Congress and Minority Business Roundtable.

By signing on to the campaign (which has seen deep public support for more than a decade), partners add their voices to the call for a Smithsonian National American Latino Museum to join the iconic Smithsonian institutions lining the National Mall. “We are honored to see such a distinguished and diverse coalition of national partners come together in order to ensure that our nation’s history is inclusive of the 500 years of U.S. Latino history that sits at the core of our founding,” stated Estuardo Rodriguez, executive director of FRIENDS.

In June, a bipartisan coalition in both the Senate and House introduced the National Museum of the American Latino Act with -sponsors: Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27), Rep. Jose Serrano (NY-15), Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Rep. Will Hurd (TX-23), and Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29). The bill advances the legislative effort that began in 2003 when Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and then-Representative Xavier Becerra introduced the first bill to secure a location on the National Mall for the site.

“The values that drive us every day at Hispanic Federation—inclusion, justice, and diversity—are values that drive all Americans” said José Calderón, Hispanic Federation President. “We know that when we empower and advance Latino communities, we empower and advance communities across this country. That is why we are proud to be part of this campaign, and why it’s so important a Smithsonian American Latino Museum to be built. It’s past time for our Latino families—our American families—to be represented among our national monuments.”

“An American Latino Museum would rightfully acknowledge the history and legacy of a community that is among the most valued and productive in our nation’s history whose contributions form an integral part of our American heritage and continue to shape its present and future,” said Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “It would tell the story of generations of Hispanic Americans who helped build this nation through timeless traditions of service, honor, innovation, and leadership. And it would provide a platform to showcase the American experience of Hispanic Americans, whose collective story and identity, like that of all Americans, is tied to the principles of freedom, democracy, and equality this country was founded on.”

“Rice University is honored to be part of this worthy campaign. We believe that diversity and inclusion and the preservation of the Latino culture is vital to the success of this country,” said David Medina, director of Multicultural Community Relations in Public Affairs at Rice University.

“Latinos are a foundational pillar of the American economy,” said Dr. Laura Murillo, President and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “Hispanic communities built St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, in the 16th century. The back-breaking work and activism of Braceros, immigrants encouraged to come to this country on work permits in the 1940s-1960s, helped pave the way for fair labor standards in this country. Hispanic entrepreneurs helped keep the American economy alive during last decade’s recession and started a quarter of all new American businesses in 2014. These contributions and countless others deserve to be celebrated and memorialized among our federal monuments on the National Mall. That is why we are proud to partner with FRIENDS to make a Smithsonian museum for American Latinos a reality.”

The full list of official partners of the campaign for a National American Latino Museum includes:

  • AFL-CIO
  • ALPFA
  • America’s Promise Alliance
  • American Federation of Teachers
  • American Jewish Committee
  • American Latino Heritage Fund
  • Andre Agassi Foundation for Education
  • Anti-Defamation League
  • ArtesMiami
  • Aspira Association
  • Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents
  • Avance
  • Casa de Esperanza
  • CASA de Maryland
  • Chicano Latino Affairs Council
  • COFEM
  • Cuban American National Council
  • Dialogue on Diversity
  • Disability Rights Legal Center
  • El Museo Del Barrio
  • El Museo Latino
  • Farmworker Justice
  • Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • GreenLatinos
  • Hispanic 100
  • Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement
  • Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
  • Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility
  • Hispanic Bar Association of DC
  • Hispanic Federation
  • Hispanic Heritage Foundation
  • Hispanic IT Executive Council
  • Hispanic Museum of Nevada
  • Hispanic National Bar Association
  • Hispanics in Philanthropy
  • Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • I Juana Know
  • Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
  • Latino Hotel and Restaurant Association
  • Latino Justice PRLDEF
  • League of Latino Educators
  • League of United Latin American Citizens
  • MANA, A National Latina Organization
  • Mattie Rhodes Center
  • Mexic-Arte Museum
  • Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund
  • Minority Business Roundtable
  • Museo de las Americas
  • Museum of Latin American Art
  • Muslim Public Affairs Council
  • NAACP
  • NALCAB
  • National Alliance for Hispanic Health
  • National Alliance of Latin American & Caribbean Communities
  • National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives
  • National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures
  • National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials
  • National Association of Latino Independent Producers
  • National Center for Lesbian Rights
  • National Day Laborer Organizing Network
  • National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
  • National Hispanic Council on Aging
  • National Hispanic Environmental Council
  • National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts
  • National Hispanic Medical Association
  • National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
  • National Latino Evangelical Coalition
  • National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
  • National Puerto Rican Coalition, Inc.
  • National Urban League
  • New America Alliance
  • New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice
  • Organic Magnetics
  • Pan American Symphony Orchestra
  • Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
  • Rice University
  • Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund
  • San Francisco Latino Historical Society
  • SER — Jobs for Progress National, Inc.
  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
  • The Latino Coalition
  • The LIBRE Initiative
  • The Mexican Museum
  • Tomas Rivera Policy Institute
  • UnidosUS
  • United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • University of California Los Angeles Chicano Studies Research Center
  • US Hispanic Leadership Institute
  • US Mexico Foundation
  • VOCES at UT Austin
  • Voto Latino

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The Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino strives to create a museum in our nation’s capital to educate, inspire and encourage respect and understanding of the richness and diversity of the American Latino experience within the U.S. and its territories by highlighting the contributions made by Latino leaders, pioneers and communities to the American way of life. https://americanlatinomuseum.org/