Washington, DC— On Thursday, October 17, the Friends of the American Latino Museum will host a press conference at the House Triangle following a historic House Committee on Natural Resources hearing for the National Museum of the American Latino Act (H.R. 2420).

The press conference will be livestreamed.

Who:

  • Rep. Raul Grijalva, Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee
  • Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, D-NV
  • Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, PR-At Large
  • Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-CA-29
  • Rep. Will Hurd, R-TX-23
  • Danny Vargas, Chair of the Friends of the American Latino Museum
  • Julissa Arce, Bestselling Author, Speaker and Social Justice Advocate
  • Maria Cardona, CNN Correspondent and Principal at Dewey Square Group

Notable Attendees:

  • Jose Fernandez, Commissioner
  • Lorraine Garcia-Nakata, Commissioner
  • Luis Cancel, Commissioner and FRIENDS Board Member
  • Cid Wilson, Commissioner and FRIENDS Board Member
  • Carlos Chirinos, Director NYU Music and Social Change Lab
  • Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte (Co-author of 1994 Willful Neglect report)
  • Rudy Arredondo, President of the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association
  • Jose Gaona, National Policy Manager, LULAC
  • Gaby Pacheco, Immigration Activist and Program Director, Advocacy, Development, Communications at TheDream.US
  • Maija Ibanez, Hispanics in Philanthropy
  • Juan Manuel Guzman, Advocacy Director, United We Dream

When: Thursday, October 17 at 12:30 pm

Where: House Triangle, outside the United States Capitol

Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanLatinoMuseum/

Hearing Witnesses:

  • Rep. José Serrano, New York, 15th District
  • Rep. Joaquin Castro, Texas, 20th District
  • Eduardo Diaz, Director, Smithsonian Latino Center
  • Dr. Stephen Pitti, Professor of History and American Studies, Yale University
  • Dolores Huerta, President, Dolores Huerta Foundation

Hearing Date: Thursday, October 17 at 10:00 am

Hearing Location: Room 1334 Longworth House Office Building

Livestream: https://naturalresources.house.gov/hearings

Background: H.R. 2420 has more than 210 bipartisan cosponsors, a bipartisan Senate counterpart, and would establish the long overdue Smithsonian Museum on the National Mall dedicated to commemorating the 500 plus years of American Latino contributions to our nation’s military, sciences, economic power, civil rights and the arts. Longtime supporters of the museum campaign from the arts, business, academia, and federal government will come together to call for the creation of this museum at a time when misunderstandings of and discrimination against the Latinx community has reached dangerous levels. This museum is needed now to combat ignorance, increase awareness and to show understanding and appreciation of American Latinos in this nation.

Join us on this momentous day 25 years in the making as we unite to ensure that American Latino history and culture finally receives its rightful place in a more complete and accurate telling of American history.