New museums to honor Latinos, women’s history

The massive legislation package passed by Congress Monday night also greenlights the establishment of two long-awaited Smithsonian museums in the nation’s capital: one focused on American Latinos and another dedicated to American women’s history.

Though the museums could take years to conceptualize, curate and build, Congress’ approval is a victory for the museums’ advocates whose efforts date back decades.

The Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act and the National Museum of the American Latino Act were folded into the massive legislation that included COVID-19 relief and government funding. A lone Republican senator, Mike Lee of Utah, blocked the two bills from passage earlier this month. The American Latino museum will “illuminate the story of the United States for the benefit of all by featuring Latino contributions,” decades after the Smithsonian issued a report finding that it displayed a pattern of “willful neglect,” excluding and ignoring the presence and contributions of Latino Americans in both its workforce and exhibition halls.

The American women’s history museum will be devoted to the documentation of women’s contributions throughout the nation’s history and recognize “diverse perspectives.”

The Smithsonian Institution said in a statement that it is “reviewing the legislation carefully.”

“The Smithsonian has unparalleled experience building national museums, and is already doing significant work to tell the stories of American Women and Latinos. We look forward to building two world- class museums to further amplify these stories and help our country learn more about the impact that women and Latinos have had on the fabric of our nation,” the statement said.