National Museum of American Latino coming to DC, director speaks about the effort in Colorado
The Smithsonian Institution is embarking on an endeavor to tell a more complete story of who we are as a nation.
The National Museum of the American Latino will showcase Latino history, art, culture, and scientific achievements.
Jorge Zamanillo, the museum's director, visited CBS Colorado Mornings to share more about the work underway to bring the stand alone museum to life, a process that is expected to take a decade.
Zamanillo was in town to speak at History Colorado on Wednesday afternoon. The National Museum of the American Latino was approved by Congress in bipartisan legislation passed in 2020.
Visitors to the National Mall can now catch glimpses of what's to come at the National Museum of American History, where the Molina Family Latino Gallery opened its first exhibit this past June.
The exhibition tells the stories of Latinas and Latinos who have shaped the United States. Indigenous freedom fighter Toypurina, Mexican American union leader César Chávez, Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente, Guatemalan labor organizer Luisa Moreno, Colombian American drag queen José Sarria and Cuban American singer Celia Cruz are some of the historical and contemporary figures featured in the exhibition.
Zamanillo said, "We've had incredible efforts over the past few years through the Latino Center to build up a presence in DC, in the Smithsonian and now we're taking it to the next level….to get rolling to have Latino representation on the mall."
Asked to address the diversity of the nation's Latino communities, Zamanillo highlighted History Colorado's Museum of Memory initiative, saying "It is not a monolithic community. We're diverse. But it starts at the local level. There's a great example here, History Colorado, where we're partnering with our colleagues at this museum, because they're capturing those local stories and it becomes national stories eventually. We'll partner with these different institutions throughout the United States to make sure those stories are being heard."
