Latinos' contributions to the development, welfare and culture of this country have been largely overlooked, and are not properly reflected in our nation's museums. But that could soon change with the creation of a museum dedicated to the diverse contributions of Latinos in America.
"A lot of folks don't realize the incredible stories of how the Hispanic influence is in everything that we experience in the United States today," said Estuardo Rodriguez, director of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, the nonprofit organization leading the effort. "And the Smithsonian, as wonderful as it is, tells an incomplete story."
The National Museum of the American Latino, as it currently referred to, is a long way from breaking ground, but already it's been a hard fought battle. The idea was officially introduced through bi-partisan legislation in 2003. The commission to investigate the viability of the museum was approved by Congress in 2008, and the report affirming the need and feasibility of the museum was delivered to the president and Congress on May 5, 2011.
While the American Latino museum is not yet an official museum, it already has the support of more than 61,000 Facebook fans (more than any individual Smithsonian museum) and more than 70,000 Twitter followers, numbers that offer a glimpse into the community's demand for this museum. But even with the grassroots momentum and a host of celebrities, museum experts, and business, congressional and community leaders supporting the effort, ground won't be broken for at least 8 to 10 years under the most optimistic of timelines. READ MORE
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