We urge Congress to reject any proposal that seeks to zero out funding for the National Museum of the American Latino and the Molina Family Latino Gallery..

The almost 30-year campaign to create the National Museum of the American Latino is an effort to expand our understanding of American history to include the 500 years of U.S. Latino history that currently goes unseen in the iconic halls of our Smithsonian museums. Now is not the time for unnecessary delay and division.

The U.S. Latino community is large and very diverse with different experiences and origins that must be respected in order to one day achieve an enviable and worthy Museum on our National Mall that brings our entire community together. Now is the time to collaborate on the future narrative of the Museum.

From the introduction of the first Commission bill by former Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Xavier Becerra to the signing of the Commission legislation by President George W. Bush and its enactment under President Obama, this idea to present a more complete story of U.S. history has always enjoyed bipartisan support.

Congress must remain focused on the bipartisanship of this initiative and move forward legislation to authorize the Smithsonian to build the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women’s History Museum on our National Mall THIS Congress.

The Friends organization will continue to work in community across all political ideologies to ensure that the stories of U.S. Latinos from the front lines of our nation’s defense to the far reaches of space exploration, and everything in between, are lifted up in celebration as well as to inspire generations.