In a historic vote on Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved bipartisan legislation that would establish a Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The long-overdue project, which has been introduced in numerous sessions of Congress without success going back years, “passed unanimously by voice vote,” NBC News reported.
“I am incredibly proud that, during my final term in office, I have been able to lead the effort in the House to make the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino a reality,” said Rep. José Serrano, a co-lead sponsor. “Today, we reached an important milestone for the Hispanic community with passage of this legislation. After nearly 20 years of work, the National Museum of the American Latino Act was finally considered and approved with overwhelming bipartisan support.”
Pew reported in 2017 that the U.S. Latino population “account[ed] for half of national population growth since 2000,” yet there’s been no national museum that recognizes this diverse community. In fact, a 1994 Smithsonian Institution Task Force on Latinos called the lack of such an institution “a pattern of willful neglect” toward Latinos, NBC News reported. “H.R. 2420, the National Museum of the American Latino Act, builds on nearly 20 years of work by advocates and members of Congress that laid the foundation for the establishment of a national museum to celebrate the history and countless contributions of American Latinos,” Serrano’s office said.
“The first Congressional bill was introduced in 2003 by former Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) to create a commission to study the feasibility of a future museum,” his office continued. “In 2008, that legislation was signed into law and a 23-member commission was formed soon after. In May 2011, the Commission’s work culminated in a final report presented to President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders laying out a detailed plan for the establishment of a world-class museum on the National Mall.”
In a testament to the current legislation’s popularity, the bill passed by the House garnered 295 supporters. “Serrano’s bill currently has 29 co-sponsors in the senate—well short of the 51 needed to pass,” Artnet reported. “But for proponents of the museum, the process for swaying senators is still in its early stages.” And, passage in the House bodes well for the museum’s future chances if Democrats take both the Senate and the presidency come November.
“Today’s House passage of H.R. 2420 represents a historic step towards securing a new home for the Latino story to be told,” Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) chair Joaquin Castro said in a statement. “Spanish was the first non-native language to be spoken in the United States. Latinos have fought in every U.S. war. Food and music from Latin America are enjoyed in every American city. American Latinos are parents, veterans, teachers, activists, innovators, artists, scientists, business owners, immigrants, patriots and so much more.”
And as Castro also notes, “Latinos are disproportionately represented among the essential workers keeping America safe, fed, and running during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.” They include many Americans and Americans-in-waiting working in medical front lines and toiling in fields to help put food on our tables. They deserve to be protected—and recognized. “The Latino story is an American story, and our history is a central thread in the history of our nation.”
“Now more than ever, when Latinos are being attacked by this administration and in the media, the American people deserve to learn the history and heritage of Hispanic Americans,” Rep. Tony Cárdenas of California said. “Latinos have been an integral part of the success of America and for too long, the pivotal role the Latino community has played in the success of this great nation have largely been overlooked and our contributions underappreciated.”