Hurd on the Hill: We need a Latino Museum

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated every year from September 15th to October 15th to honor the many Latino Americans who have shaped our nation’s history and culture and continue to do so each day. The United States of America is stronger because of the past, present and future contributions that Latinos have made across our communities, and there is no better example  than here in Texas. From the music we listen to, the clothes we wear and the food we eat to the gifted minds of our doctors, educators and more, we see these accomplishments woven into our everyday lives and have a lot to celebrate. I think the world should see this rich history that we South and West Texans see all year long. That’s why this Hispanic Heritage Month I’m encouraging all of you to join me in supporting the creation of the National Museum of the American Latino.

The National Mall in Washington, DC is our country’s front yard. It has museums for miles telling our nation’s stories – of Natural History, of Air and Space, of Art, of Buildings, of the American Indian, of African Art and of African American History and Culture, to name a few. However, there’s no reason why it should not also be adorned with a museum that tells the story of the American Latino. The U.S. is home to over 57 million Latino Americans, making them  the largest ethnic minority in the U.S. I am also proud to represent in Congress 29 counties in South and West Texas with an over 70 percent Latino population and have been welcomed into their homes, churches and neighborhoods with open arms.  The story of our nation cannot be told without telling the story of the American Latino. I am proud to support and advocate for the National Museum of the American Latino Act because the stories I have heard and the people I have met should be forever commemorated in our nation’s history. 

I’m proud to be one of the leaders pushing this legislation through Congress. I want students from San Antonio to Del Rio, from Eagle Pass all the way to El Paso to someday visit Washington, D.C. and see their culture and their history equally woven into our national fabric.

The National Museum of the American Latino will be a blockbuster success. If the recently opened National Museum of African American History and Culture is any guide, our nation’s investment in displaying these stories that Americans and millions of tourists from around the world want to hear.

It’s also the right thing to do. When this bill becomes law and the design for such a museum enters the planning stages, you can be sure I will fight for some of the incredible constituents of mine to have their stories forever memorialized for the millions of expected visitors.

Residents of TX-23 recognize the daily contributions that Latino Americans make each day in our communities from San Antonio to El Paso. It is an honor to be able to represent a majority Latino district in Congress, and I will continue to do all that I can to ensure their  continued success  for future generations to come. Let’s give those future generations some inspiration – and build a lasting structure to tell the world their story.  

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