smithsonian latino art collections - Smithsonian Latino Center

Institute for the Americas. 41 With respect to the former, Smithsonian representatives responded that
efforts had been made and plans for an initiative was being drafted with “1) a strong curatorial program
in Latino history that would provided a scholarly base for public programs; 2) a full-time public program
director with an adequate staff and programming budget; 3) dissemination techniques that would make
use of radio and television; and 4) a national group of scholars who can contribute to both curatorial and
public programs.” 42
With respect to the latter--Institute of the Americas, Institution representatives replied that “the
Institute of the Americas Project is a commissioned study involving scholars from throughout the
hemisphere who will be charged to: identify existing cultural and scientific resources; consider the
Smithsonian’s current activities; and identify scholarly issues that are being inadequately addressed,”
adding that “as presently configured, the Institute for the Americas is a study project…utilizing an
Administrative Officer and a Program Assistant detailed from another office in the Smithsonian.” 43
The Smithsonian and U.S. Latinos in the 1990s
Immediately after the Quincentenary celebration was over, the Institution underwent an
institution-wide self-study of its governance, personnel policies, collections, programs and budget
allocations as they related to Hispanics and Latinos pressured by concerns from Congressional
representatives, the Congressional Appropriations Committee, the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, the
Congressional Border Caucus and the internal Smithsonian Latino Working Committee.
On March 3, 1993, in response to a letter from U.S. Congressman Ronald Coleman, Majority
Whip-at-Large and member of the Committee of Appropriations, dated November 10, 1992, in which he
inquired about what was being done to acknowledge the “distinct cultural heritage of the American
Southwest and Mexican-Americans,” Secretary Adams stated: “very shortly, I will announce the
establishment of a Latino Task Force which will study and identify issues of concern to the Latino
community and then make recommendations to the Institution on how they may best be addressed.” 44
Moreover, he added, “the Office of Museum Programs is soliciting museum professionals in all
specialties and disciplines to apply for grant awards which will bring participants to the Smithsonian in
July 1993, to participate in an overview course with emphasis on museum management. Latino
applicants are being targeted as their participation is critical to the expansion of new concepts affecting
programming for Latinos, not only at the Smithsonian, but in museum networks throughout the
country.” 45
In April of 1993, Secretary Adams and Under Secretary Constance Berry Newman appointed a
15-member Task Force on Latino Issues to assess the state of the Institutions and to issue
41 Congressman Esteban Torres memo to Sidney R. Yates, February 16, 1993. Questions included actual number of
Hispanics at the Institution broken down by museums and units, their grades, job titles and years on the job;
policies to increase Hispanic representation at the executive level; rates and programs for retention; Equal
Employment Opportunity Commision (EEOC) pending cases; and the lack of integral Hispanic American programs
at NMAH. In addition, he inquired about the status of the Institute of the Americas, fundings spent on it, person in
charge and the future of the proposed institute if the Smithsonian appropriations were not to be increased by
Congress.
42 “FY 1994 House Q + As.” Office of the Under Secretary, Latino Task Force Records, 1993-1994. Smithsonian
Institution Archives, Record Unit 95-073, box 1.
43 “The Proposed Institute for the Americas.” Office of the Under Secretary, Latino Task Force Records, 1993-
1994. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95-073, box 1.
44 Secretary Adams’ letter to the Honorable Ronald D. Coleman. March 3, 1993, p. 2. Office of the Under Secretary,
Latino Task Force Records, 1993-1994. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95-073, box 1.
45 Ibid. p. 3.
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