[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 16, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ON ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 16, 1996

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Smithsonian Institution, which will be honoring the contributions 
Hispanics have made in the arts and sciences, and their role in our 
Nation's history during a special evening at the New York Coliseum.
  The event is among the many to commemorate the Institution's 150th 
anniversary, which includes the traveling exhibition, ``America's 
Smithsonian,'' being viewed by millions of citizens of New York City 
and millions of their fellow Americans in 11 additional cities across 
the Nation.
  Under the leadership of Smithsonian Institution Secretary J. Michael 
Heyman, the Institution has increased its efforts to bring the museum 
closer to Hispanics by reaching out to the community through traveling 
exhibitions, on-line home page, educational kits featuring Hispanic 
artists, musical recordings, and a variety of publications.
  ``America's Smithsonian,'' the 150th anniversary exhibition, 
represents the cultural contributions of all Americans, including 
Hispanic-Americans. The special evening at the exhibition in the New 
York Coliseum celebrates Hispanics by bringing together Hispanic 
curators, academics, corporate representatives, public affairs 
professionals, community leaders, elected officials, and members of 
Spanish-language media and the mainstream press.
  From the earliest arrivals on our eastern shores to the established 
settlements in the West and the Southwest, the large Hispanic 
communities in the north and south, and the diverse Caribbean 
representations, all clearly demonstrate the role Hispanics have played 
in our country's earliest history and development to the present day. 
Hispanic music, literature, visual arts, customs, and way of living are 
very much a part of this Nation's culture.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
Smithsonian Institution in its 150th anniversary celebration for its 
efforts to reach out to the Hispanic community by expanding its 
collections and exhibitions in its museums, and traveling exhibitions 
like ``America's Smithsonian,'' which give an opportunity to the 
Nation's flagship museum to include Hispanic contributions to this 
Nation's culture in the arts, science, and history.

                          ____________________