On December 14th, 2020 the letter below was submitted to Congressional Leadership with over 140 influential signatories to encourage the passage of the National Museum of the American Latino Act. If you are interested in adding your name to this growing list, please sign-up here. 

Dear Leader McConnell, Senator Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Representative McCarthy:

We write you today in response to the actions that took place on the Senate floor this past Thursday evening. On behalf of our organizations, our community, our families and future generations, that will one day be inspired by the countless stories exhibited in a Smithsonian National American Latino Museum, we urge you to work together to ensure that the National Museum of the American Latino Act (H.R.2420) is included in a year-end omnibus so that we can finally begin the work of creating a home for this long sought museum. 

We are incredibly disappointed by Senator Mike Lee’s decision to block a bill that has such strong bipartisan support. As you know, our bill passed the House of Representatives by unanimous consent with more than 290 bipartisan cosponsors this summer; and has support from 46 cosponsors from both parties in the Senate. Additionally, on December 3, the Senate Rules Committee voted unanimously to advance the bill after holding a hearing on the initiative on November 17.

This bill has enjoyed strong bipartisan and bicameral support for years, led by Senators Bob Menendez and John Cornyn, and Representatives Jose Serrano, Tony Cardenas and Will Hurd. We are inspired by the energy and unity that this legislation has brought and are confident that all of those that have come together to drive this campaign forward would not want us, or Congress, to give up now. Since 1994, the Latinx community has been working and waiting to have its story told on the National Mall, and we must not wait longer if we can address this now. Throughout history, our community has fought, served and contributed to the founding, defending, growth and strength of the nation. It has endured, fortified, and overcome countless obstacles. Latinos have made our country what it is today and we urge you, our Congressional leaders, to commit to approving this bill before the end of this legislative session and make this museum a reality.

We thank you in advance for your leadership and we stand ready to support this historic endeavor from the bill’s ultimate authorization to the work required to open those doors on America’s front lawn.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to any one of us if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Raul “Danny” Vargas
Board Chair
Friends of the American Latino Museum

Estuardo V. Rodriguez
President & CEO
Friends of the American Latino Museum

FRIENDS Board 

  1. Lili Gil Valetta, FRIENDS Vice Chair, CEO & Co-Founder of Cien +
  2. Luis Cancel, FRIENDS Secretary, Executive Director, Venezuelan American  Endowment for the Arts
  3. Jon Munoz, FRIENDS Treasurer
  4. Antonio Argibay, Managing Principal Meridian Design Associates
  5. Yvette Pena, Vice President, Multicultural Leadership, AARP
  6. Mario Rodriguez, Chairman, Hispanic 100
  7. Cici Rojas, VP, The Latino Coalition
  8. Massey Villareal, Texas Association of Business Foundation
  9. Brent Wilkes, President & Founder, Wilkes Strategies
  10. Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, Chairman, PVBLIC Foundation
  11. Betty Uribe, Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

National Partners

  1. Sanaa Abrar, Advocacy Director, United We Dream
  2. Misael Alvarado, Development Manager, NALEO Educational Fund
  3. Juan Andrade, President, the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute
  4. Roger Campos, Chairman and Founder, Minority Business RoundTable
  5. Alicia Cantrell, Bienvenido
  6. John Cantrell, Bienvenido.TV
  7. Jose Carrillo, Acting Director of Development, NALEO Educational Fund
  8. Ramiro Cavazos, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  9. Evelyn DeJesus, AFT Executive Vice President
  10. Elia Diaz-Yaeger, President, Hispanic National Bar Association
  11. Abraham Enriquez, Bienvenido.US
  12. Laura Esquivel, VP, Federal Policy Hispanic Federation
  13. Susie Feliz, Vice President of Policy and Legislative Affairs, National Urban League
  14. Stephanie Franco, Creative Director, Bienvenido
  15. Rev. Gabriel Salguero , President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition
  16. Diana German, Program Manager, NALEO Educational Fund
  17. Julia Lopez, HNBA, National Finance Director
  18. Monica Medina, Program Coordinator, NALEO Educational Fund
  19. Kevin Perez-Allen, Deputy Director of Communications, NALEO Educational Fund
  20. Lidia Plascencia, NALEO Education Fund
  21. Raul Preciado, Ve y Vota Campaign Manager, NALEO Educational Fund
  22. Héctor Sánchez Barba, Executive Director and CEO, Mi Familia Vota
  23. Arturo Vargas, CEO, NALEO Educational Fund
  24. Cid Wilson, President & CEO, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR)

Regional Leadership Network and Supporters

  1. Beatriz Acevedo, CEO & Co-Founder, Suma Wealth
  2. Irma Aguirre, A&A Construction Company
  3. James Aliaga, Regional President, Hispanic National Bar Association Region II
  4. Mary Alice Carnes, Content Producer, Voces Oral History Center
  5. Cristela Alonzo, Artist, Activist
  6. Giraldo Alvare, Regional Communications Specialist
  7. Julissa Arce, Author
  8. Rudy Arredondo, President, CEO, and Co-founder, the National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association
  9. Mariana Atencio, GoLike
  10. Marco Avila, Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  11. Karen Barragan, CMO, Blumhouse
  12. Matt Barreto, Co-founder, Latino Decisions
  13. Caroline Beck, Strategic Consultant
  14. Rose Benavidez, President, Starr County Industrial Foundation
  15. Jamie Bernstein, Writer
  16. Ronald Blackburn-Moreno, ASPIRA Association
  17. Karissa Blyth, Regional President, Hispanic National Bar Association
  18. Carlos Bollar, President-Elect, HNBA
  19. Nicole Bonardel, We Are All Human
  20. Dean Burrell, President, Garden State Bar
  21. Susan Byrne, Professor of Hispanic Studies, UNLV
  22. Sandy Cajas, Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  23. Gustavo Camacho, Council Member City of Pico Rivera
  24. Alejandra Campoverdi, Women’s Health Advocate
  25. Susan Collins, Legislative Affairs Senior Director, UnidosUS
  26. Rev. Carmen Hernandez, President, NYC LGBTQS Chamber of Commerce Inc
  27. Angel Castillo, Ogden NAACP Member/Social Justice Chair
  28. Tabatha Castro, President, The Castro Firm, Inc.
  29. Lilleana Cavanaugh, Executive Director, Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs
  30. C.LeRoy Cavazos-Reyna, Texas Border Coalition
  31. Yuien Chin, Executive Director, Harlem One Stop Inc.
  32. Jackie Colon, Southeast Region
  33. Mirna Couto, GoLike
  34. Melinda Cox, Immediate Past President, Hispanic Bar Association of NJ
  35. Doralyn De Dios, President, Dominican Bar Association
  36. Vanessa De La Rosa, DLR Planning
  37. Lissette Duran, Associate; Paul, Weiss
  38. John Duran, Mayor of West Hollywood, CA (Ret.)
  39. Nilda Elizondo, Vice President of Operations Starr County Industrial Foundation
  40. Alejandro Erquicia, Consultant/Alamo Solutions LLC
  41. Moctesuma Esparza, Chair of the BOD, Los Angeles Academy of Arts and Enterprise
  42. Emilio Estefan, Chairman, Estefan Enterprises, Inc
  43. Lucy Flores, CEO, Luz Collective, Inc.
  44. Aurora Flores, President, Aurora Communications
  45. Ruben Garcia, Co-Head of Cultural Business Strategy Group, Creative Artists Agency
  46. Maija García, Director of Professional Training, Guthrie Theater
  47. Lorraine García-Nakata, Consultant and Cultural Specialist
  48. Martha Gonzalez, A concerned citizen
  49. Lucy Guzman, NAHREP
  50. David Hamond, Managing Member, Qi Advisors Group, LLC
  51. Amy Hinojosa, President and CEO, MANA, A National Latina Organization
  52. Margaret Hoover, PBS’ Firing Line with Margaret Hoover
  53. Monica Jaramillo, LABEL The Agency
  54. Reynold Lambert, President, Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey
  55. John Leguizamo, Artist, Activist
  56. Aida Levitan, President, ArtesMiami, Inc.
  57. Noerena Limon, SVP of Public Policy and Industry Relations, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals
  58. Alyra, Liriano, Deputy Regional President, Hispanic National Bar Association
  59. Jennifer Lucio Vargas, Founder, President and CEO, 305 Communications and Events
  60. David Luna, Councilmember, City of Mesa
  61. Mark Magaña, Founding President & CEO, GreenLatinos
  62. Raymond Manzo, President, San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association
  63. Adriana Martínez, President, Adriana Martínez Group
  64. Dania Matos, President Emerita, Brown University Latino Alumni Council
  65. Christopher Maurer, Professor of Spanish, Boston University
  66. Caitlin McDougall Schippers, Educator, DeWitt Public Schools
  67. Benjamin Mejia, Deputy Regional President, Hispanic National Bar Association Region II
  68. Dahlia Narvaez, Executive Pastry Chef
  69.   Jose Niño, El Niño Group
  70.   Adriana O’Hagan, Executive Assistant to AFT Executive Vice President
  71.   Joél-Léhi, Organista, Founder & CEO, Machitia Inc.
  72.   Sylvia Orozco, Executive Director, Mexic-Arte Museum
  73.   Jackie Ortiz, Community Member
  74.   Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez, Borinquen Dance Theatre, Inc.
  75.   Degnan Patrice, Executive Director, Queen Sofia Spanish Institute
  76.   Jose Perez, President & CEO, Hispanics In Energy
  77.   Carlos Perez, Owner, Galica, LLC
  78.   Jorge Plasencia, CEO, Republica Havas
  79. Mishel Prada, Actor
  80. Jaclyn Quiles-Nohar, Deputy Director, National Hispanic Bar Association Region II
  81. S Quintanilla, Director, El Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil
  82. Annette Ramos, Executive Director
  83. Ruben Reyna, President, Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia
  84. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, Professor, University of Texas at Austin
  85. Rodolfo Rivera, CEO, Father Tracy Advocacy Center
  86. Ivette Rodriguez, President, AEM, Co-Founder, LA Collab
  87.  Ivan Roman, Freelance journalist and writer, Washington, D.C.
  88.  Claudia Romo Edelman, Founder, We Are All Human
  89.  Carmen Ronan, Manager of Business Development and International Services, Molera Alvarez
  90. Bobby Sanabria, Co-Artistic Director Bronx Music Heritage Center
  91. Roberto Sanabria, Actor
  92.  Yadira Sanchez, Co-Executive Director and Poder Latinx
  93.  Aurora Sauceda, Latinos United, Community Coordinator
  94.  Dina Siegel Vann, Director of the Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, American Jewish Committee (AJC)
  95. Benjamin Sigel, HNBA Region I President
  96. Yasmean Tamoor, Assistant Corporation Counsel, New York City Law Department
  97.   YeseniaTimoteo Abarca, LULAC Utah
  98.   Jack Torres, Mayor, Town of Bernalillo, NM
  99.   Pedro Torres-Diaz, Principal, Jackson Lewis P.C.
  100.   Tina Trevino, Partner, Director Community Relations, Latin Business Today, LLC
  101.   Tami Tyree, Echoes of Our Ancestors African-American History and Song
  102.   Ana Valdez, Executive President, Latino Donor Collaborative
  103.   Henry Vargo, Instructor, El Ballet Folklorico Estudiantil
  104.   Miriam Vazquez, Eugenio María de Hostos Charter School
  105.   Christian Vera, Broadcaster
  106.   Angela Weimer, National Director of Human Resources & Administration
  107.   Laura Ybarra, Michigan United
  108.   Michel Zajur, Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

cc: Sen. John Cornyn (TX)
Sen. Robert Menendez (NJ)
Senate Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
House Administration Committee Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL)