Our Mission

One of family, patriotism, hard work, ingenuity, and pride in the country we’ve all built together.

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 icons, pioneers and communities to the American way of life we are all better able to truly understand what makes our nation great.

The Story of Our Initiative

The legislation to create a 23-member Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino was signed into law by President George W. Bush and was enacted in 2008 by President Barack Obama. The commission, appointed by the President and Congressional leadership, worked in an exemplary, bipartisan fashion to produce a first-class feasibility report.

The campaign to create a Smithsonian American Latino Museum has been active since 2004. The Commission submitted its final report on Cinco de Mayo, May 5, 2011-before the deadline and under budget. It was released at a White House ceremony by the presidentially appointed National Museum of the American Latino Commission.

As the largest ethnic group in the nation with arguably the oldest ties to the founding of this nation, we have a compelling case for moving onto the iconic National Mall and joining the many prestigious institutions that welcome the over 30 million tourists and residents each year to present our American story.

Read the Commission Report

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