[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 2, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S6341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMISSION TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL CREATION OF A NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE 
                 AMERICAN LATINO COMMUNITY ACT OF 2004

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, before the Memorial Day recess, I joined 
with Senators Hatch, Bingaman, and Hutchison in introducing the 
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the 
American Latino Community Act of 2004.
  This legislation would create a national commission to study and plan 
for a National Museum of the American Latino, possibly in Washington, 
DC. Congressman Xavier Becerra and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus 
have sponsored companion legislation in the House.
  Throughout our Nation's history, Latinos have enriched our culture 
and economy, and contributed to our national defense. In every American 
war and conflict, Latinos have served honorably next to their fellow 
Americans. It is time for our Nation's history and public institutions 
to fully recognize and celebrate our Latino community.
  Though Latinos have been the largest ethnic minority group in 
California for some time, the Census Bureau recently reported that 
Latinos are now the largest minority group in the country and have 
grown in population in every region. As of July 2002, there were 38.8 
million Latinos in the United States. One out of every three of these 
Latinos is under the age of 18. Also, the southern states other than 
Texas have seen the population of Latinos double between 1990 and 2000. 
The size, youth, and growth of this population ensure that American 
Latinos will continue to play a critical role in every region of the 
country and in every aspect of American life. As a result, a greater 
understanding of this population and its history will benefit all 
Americans.
  The American Latino experience in the United States has a history as 
long as the Nation is old. From families with Puerto Rican and 
Dominican origins in New York to those with Cuban blood in Miami to the 
giant Mexican American and Central American communities in California 
and numerous other communities in every region of the country--American 
Latinos share a host of common values and similar experiences. A 
National Museum of the American Latino would help the larger American 
family celebrate this community's history and diversity.
  The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum and 
research complex, with 16 museums in the District of Columbia and New 
York City. The Smithsonian Institution museums, especially those on the 
National Mall, play a unique and important role in educating visitors 
to the Nation's capital about America's history, arts, and culture. The 
American people and international visitors recognize the Smithsonian 
Institution as the premier American museum, representing the vast 
diversity of cultural history of the United States. It is worth 
examining the potential for adding a National Museum of the American 
Latino to the Smithsonian family.
  After extensive dialogue, conferences, and collaboration among 
educators, scholars, and community leaders as well as museums, 
universities, cultural, and public institutions, a task force appointed 
to examine the Smithsonian Institution's representation of American 
Latinos in its permanent exhibits and other public programs published 
``Willful Neglect: The Smithsonian Institution and U.S. Latinos'' in 
May 1994 and ``Toward a Shared Vision: U.S. Latinos and the Smithsonian 
Institution'' in October 1997. The reports indicate that the 
Smithsonian historically had a poor record of representing Latinos. 
This criticism led to the creation of the Smithsonian's Center for 
Latino Initiatives in 1998.
  The Center for Latino Initiatives has increased the profile of Latino 
arts and culture and deserves credit for promoting diversity and 
understanding of American Latino culture among the Smithsonian's 
visitors. The Center's short history has shown that American Latino 
exhibits and programs are well received by the public and by the Latino 
community, which benefits from having some representation at the 
Smithsonian. Still, the level of representation at the Smithsonian of 
the Latino community is far from where it should be given the American 
Latino history, demography, and contributions to the American cultural 
landscape.
  I thank Senators Hatch, Bingaman, and Hutchison for joining with me 
in introducing this bill. I look forward to working with them to pass 
this legislation, and I encourage all my colleagues to join us in this 
effort.

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