National Museum of the American Latino recommended by presidential panel

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

A presidential commission, created during the George W. Bush administration to study the feasibility of a National Museum of the American Latino, is recommending that a museum be built near the Capitol. The commission report, to be delivered to the White House and Congress on Thursday, also recommends that the museum be part of the Smithsonian Institution.

In very clear language, the report states that national recognition of the Hispanic contribution to the United States is long overdue. “The Mall, more than any other public space in our country does indeed tell the story of America, and yet that story is not complete. There must also be a living monument that recognizes that Latinos were here well before 1776 and that in this new century, the future is increasingly Latino, more than fifty million people and growing,” the report says.

The museum would follow a broad sweep of history, recognizing 500 years of contributions by the Latino community to the military, economics, government, arts and culture. The report immediately addressed some of the apprehension around creating separate museums for different ethnic groups. It described a broader purpose:

“At this moment in our country’s history when cultural understanding could not be more important to the enduring strength of our democratic ideals, we ask that you consider the importance of creating The Smithsonian American Latino Museum not only as a monument for Latinos, but as a 21st Century learning laboratory rooted in the mission that every American should have access to the stories of all Americans.”

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/presidential_commission_calls_for_national_museum_of_the_american_latino/2011/05/02/AFTSlfoF_story.html

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That'll be an interesting museum; I visited the Smithsonian last August and enjoyed it.

[jberryhill]

1. The "American" Latino? Is there some other kind?