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/