The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino continues to an offer exhibition with a virtual component called “¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States.”
The Molina Family Latino Gallery is the first iteration of the National Museum of the American Latino,” said Jorge Zamanillo, director of the National Museum of the American Latino. “It will take 10 to 12 years to open a museum building, but the gallery gives the public a preview of the museum’s potential.”
As the Molina Family Latino Gallery’s premiere exhibition, “¡Presente!” introduces visitors to key concepts, moments and biographies that illuminate U.S. Latinos’ historical and cultural legacies.
The exhibition also tells the stories of Latinas and Latinos who have shaped the United States. Indigenous freedom fighter Toypurina, Mexican American union leader César Chávez, Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente, Guatemalan labor organizer Luisa Moreno, Colombian American drag queen José Sarria and Cuban American singer Celia Cruz are some of the historical and contemporary figures featured in the exhibition.
A companion website highlights select oral histories, 3D objects, historical biographies and objects in the “¡Presente!” exhibition.
Take a virtual tour at https://latino.si.edu/exhibitions/presente