National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL)

The National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) is one of two museums created in 2020 by an act of Congress, establishing it and the Smithsonian National Women’s History Museum as part of the Smithsonian. Although there is no building yet for the National Museum of the American Latino, founding director Jorge Zamanillo and his staff are working on exhibitions, programs and fundraising while operating a 4,500-square-foot gallery in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Founded as the Smithsonian Latino Center in 1997, NMAL has worked collaboratively with Smithsonian museums and research centers, ensuring that the contributions of the Latino community in the arts, history, and scientific achievement are explored, celebrated and preserved.

The Museum:

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino advances the representation, understanding and appreciation of Latino history and culture in the United States. The museum provides resources and collaborates with other museums to expand scholarly research, public programs, digital content, collections and more. The museum operates its Molina Family Latino Gallery, the Smithsonian’s first gallery dedicated to the Latino experience, at the National Museum of American History.

Molina Family Latino Gallery

The National Museum of the American Latino opened the Molina Family Latino Gallery, the Smithsonian’s first gallery dedicated to Latino contributions to America, in June 2022 at the National Museum of American History. The 4,500-square-foot gallery offers temporary exhibitions and educational programs in the decade or so leading up to the grand opening of the museum’s own building.

“¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States” is the museum’s first exhibition in the gallery. It introduces visitors to critical concepts, moments and biographies that shine a light on the historical and cultural legacy of U.S. Latinos.

Mission

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino honors the dreams, challenges, and triumphs of U.S. Latinos, elevating diverse stories within the nation’s narrative. We create transformative experiences, foster a deeper understanding of American history and culture, and connect communities nationwide.

Vision

We envision a future where Latino communities belong, stories unfold, and cultures connect.

Programs and Exhibitions

The museum is integrating and building on programs previously managed by the former Smithsonian Latino Center. It will continue to advance the representation, understanding, and appreciation of Latino history and culture in the United States. The museum also provides resources and collaborates with other museums to expand scholarly research, public programs, digital content, collections and more.

Fostering Future Leaders and Museum Professionals: The American Latino Museum offers programs such as the Latino Museum Studies Program for emerging museum-studies scholars, the Young Ambassadors Program for graduating high school seniors and the Latino Curatorial Initiative for museum careers. Since 2010, the initiative has funded 20 positions for Latino curators, archivists and curatorial assistants across the Institution.

Advancing Intergenerational and Lifelong Learning: The museum will present diverse and complex stories about the Latino experience through public programs to serve audiences of all ages. These programs will include Latino heritage celebrations, free concerts, films, lectures, group visits, online programs and other special events. Many programs will take place at the General Motors Learning Lounge, located within the Molina Family Latino Gallery, or in museums across the Smithsonian.

Supporting Latino Exhibitions: In addition to developing exhibitions for the Molina Family Latino Gallery, the museum collaborates with other museums across the Smithsonian and beyond to produce temporary and traveling exhibitions.

Research Staff

The National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) is building its curatorial team. Content experts at this museum include Dr. Tey Marianna Nunn, Associate Director, Content & Interpretation; Melissa Carrillo, Head of Digital Initiatives, and Ranald Woodaman, Assistant Director of Exhibition Development who may serve as advisors on fellowship proposals.

NMAL contributes to Latino/a/x Studies at the Smithsonian through its support of the Latino Curatorial Initiative, a cohort of Latino/a/x content experts working in Latino history, art, and culture. These individuals are supported by NMAL through the Latino Initiatives Pool, a federal fund managed by NMAL. These individuals conduct research, organize exhibitions and public programs, inform educational programs and web content, and build collections and archives that reflect the contributions of Latinos to the United States.

At present, NMAL supports curators and content experts at the following museums and centers: Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (Amalia Córdova, PhD., Latino Digital Curator, Armando Suarez, Latinx Archivist), Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (Christina De Leon, Associate Curator of Latino Design), National Museum of African American History and Culture (Ariana Curtis, PhD.; Museum Curator, Latinx Studies), National Museum of American History (Verónica A. Méndez, PhD., Curator of Division of Political and Jose Centeno-Melendez, PhD., Oral Historian), National Museum of American Indian (L. Antonio Curet, PhD., Curator of Archeology), and the National Portrait Gallery (Taína Caragol, PhD., Curator of Painting and Sculpture and Latino Art and History). The Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Services (Maria del Carmen Cossu, Project Director for Latino Initiatives) does not generate academic research, but is a participant of the Latino Curatorial Initiative.