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Smithsonian Latino Museum

Smithsonian Staff

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 financial resources and collaborates with other museums to expand scholarly research, public programs, digital content, collections and more. The museum’s Molina Family Latino Gallery is the Smithsonian’s first gallery dedicated to the Latino experience. The legislation creating the National Museum of the American Latino at the Smithsonian passed Dec. 27, 2020. Connect with the museum at latino.si.edu, and follow @USLatinoMuseum on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Smithsonian Latino Museum's collections

 

Jovita Idar, Latinas Talk Latinas

<p>This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino and National Museum of American History's video <em>Latinas Talk Latinas, Gilda Mirós: From the Journalist's Desk</em>. After watching the video, which is located in the second tile of this collection, please return to this page to learn more about the objects and resources we have in our digital collection as well as additional information that will help you further explore the topics and themes presented in the video.<br></p> <p>Jovita Idar, recently depicted in coinage as part of the American Women Quarters Program, was a courageous journalist and educator. She wrote about injustices and promoted Latino civil rights from her Texas home.</p>
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Jovita González, Latinas Talk Latinas

<p>This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino and National Museum of American History's video <em>Latinas Talk Latinas, Cynthia Vidaurri Talks About Jovita González: Documenting a Community. </em> After watching the video, which is located in the second tile of this collection, please return to this page to learn more about the objects and resources we have in our digital collection as well as additional information that will help you further explore the topics and themes presented in the video.<br><br>Jovita González was one of the earliest folklorists to document the border between the United States and Mexico as its own cultural zone. She wrote several groundbreaking books with innovative documenting and writing techniques.</p>
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Jessica Govea, Latinas Talk Latinas

<p>This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History's and the Smithsonian's Latino Center's video <em>Latinas Talk Latinas, Jessica Govea: From Girlhood to Inspiring a Movement</em>. After watching the video, which is located in the second tile of this collection, please return to this page to learn more about the assets we have in our digital collection as well as additional resources that will help you further explore the topics and themes presented in the video.<em></em><br></p> <p>Jessica Govea was a labor leader and organizer who started at a very young age. She began working alongside César Chávez in the Community Service Organization and was later instrumental in the founding of the United Farm Workers union, extending her organizing power to Canada.</p>
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Descubra Meet the Science Expert

<p>This collection features bilingual Create-It! STEM activities from <em>¡Descubra!, </em>the Smithsonian Latino Center's national public education program for kids, teens, and families. These activities can be recreated with materials found at a local grocery or hardware store at home or in the classroom. These bilingual resources can serve teachers in grades 2-5, 6-8, and high school science. </p><p></p> <p>The activities help participants place themselves in the role of scientist as they work on a STEAM-H project. Through active learning and problem solving, students are fully engaged and better able to understand the concepts being presented. This collection also includes interviews with science experts as well as note cards featuring profiles of U.S. Latina/os that have made notable contributes to STEM fields.</p><p></p> <p><em>¡Descubra! </em>Meet the Science Expert promotes STEM education for youth, with a specific focus on Latino youth, by showcasing Latino role models in STEM fields and discussing career paths and different interests in these areas. </p> <p></p>
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Descubra Hispanic Heritage

<p>This collection features bilingual (English/Spanish) activities from<em> ¡Descubra!</em>, the Smithsonian Latino Center’s national public education program for kids, teens, and families. These activities were featured at previous Smithsonian Latino Center Hispanic Heritage festivals celebrating Latino art, music, and cultures. These resources can serve teachers and students grades 2-5, 6-8, and high school Spanish.<br></p> <p>The activities help participants place themselves in the role of an artist, whether a poet, musician, or sculptor. There are also fun activities for caregivers and families in capturing family music memories through oral histories and archiving special memories with photographs. Through active learning and problem solving, students are fully engaged and better able to understand concepts being presented. This collection also includes video performances and interviews with Latino animators, artists, curators, dancers, and even educators, among others.  </p> <p><em>¡Descubra! </em>Hispanic Heritage promotes Latino arts and culture contributions while showcasing opportunities to become involved in cultural representation and different interests in these areas.</p> <p></p> <p>Esta colección resalta actividades bilingües de<em> ¡Descubra!,</em> el programa nacional educativo del Centro Latino Smithsonian para niños, adolecentes y familias. Estas actividades fueron presentadas en festivales de herencia hispana previos del Centro Latino Smithsonian que celebraban arte, música y cultura hispana. Estos recursos les pueden servir a maestros y estudiantes de grados 2-5, 6-8, y de clases de español de preparatoria (high school).</p> <p>Las actividades ayudan a participantes imaginase en un papel de artista, fuese un poeta, un músico o escultor. Encontrará actividades divertidas para cuidadores y familias que captan memorias musicales de familia a través de entrevistas y otra sobre como archivar memorias especiales con fotos. A través del aprendizaje y resolviendo problemas, los estudiantes pueden entender mejor las ideas que se les presentan. Esta colección también incluye videos de presentaciones y entrevistas de animadores, artistas, bailarines, curadores y hasta educadores, además de otros.</p> <p><em>¡Descubra! </em>Hispanic Heritage resalta las contribuciones de la comunidad hispana al arte y la cultura estadounidense mientras promueve oportunidades para involucrarse en la representación cultural y las diferentes áreas dentro del campo. </p>
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¡Descubra! Breaking Barriers in Space

<p>Latinas and Latinos have had a long legacy of contributing to space exploration from Arturo Campos, an electrical engineer that helped solve the power crisis on the Apollo 13 mission and Franklin Chang Diaz and Ellen Ochoa, the first Latino and Latina astronauts respectively, to today and the team of three (3) Latinas Diana Trujillo, Christina Hernandez, and Clara O’Farrell who helped lead the Mars Perserverance Rover Team. On the International Space Station, astronauts like Frank Rubio continue to pursue answers to science's greatest questions.  Explore this Learning Lab collection to learn more about these space pioneers through Smithsonian objects, exhibitions, articles, and video resources. Go a step further and enjoy exploring space through our Create-It activities for elementary, middle school, and high school students. </p>
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Community Murals: Art on Walls

<p>The National Museum of the American Latino is proud to partner with museums to hold events and meet the nation’s diverse Latino communities across the country. At these events we invite local artists to paint Community Art Walls based on the Latino culture and traditions that are local to their region. <br><br>These Community Art Walls then travel to Washington, D.C. to be temporarily displayed in the Molina Family Latino Gallery’s General Motors Learning Lounge. This space hopes to inspire visitors to the gallery to explore more about Latino culture and is a chance to be a window to the nation. After they are displayed, we return them to be enjoyed by their community. Take a virtual tour through these murals, learn about the artists, and about Chicana Muralist Judy Baca, view Smithsonian collections, and take a hand at designing a sketch for your own mural. </p>
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Collidoscope: De la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective Learning Kit

<p>The traveling exhibition, "Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective," sponsored in part by the National Museum of the American Latino showcases three decades of the brothers’ work. In this virtual exhibition you can explore the brothers’ work through their voices. This serves as the accompanying learning tool kit with primary source resources, background information, and hands-on activities. </p>
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Clotilde Arias, Latinas Talk Latinas

<p>This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History's and the Smithsonian's Latino Center's video <em>Latinas Talk Latinas, Clotilde Arias: The Impact of a Peruvian Immigrant.</em> After watching the video, which is located in the second tile of this collection, please return to this page to learn more about the assets we have in our digital collection as well as additional resources that will help you further explore the topics and themes presented in the video.</p> <p>Clotilde Arias's story reminds us of the resilience and creativity of many Latina immigrants. She succeeded in a male-dominated world in New York in the '40s and '50s. Her best-known act of patriotism was creating a singable Spanish-language version of the Star-Spangled Banner.</p>
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Celebrating Central American Traditions | Celebrando tradiciones centroamericanas

<p>This bilingual collection of activities and videos can serve students grades K-5, music and world culture teachers, as well as middle and high school Spanish classes. Enjoy performances and interview with artists about Central American music traditions, including Salvadoran Chanchona music, Honduran Garifuna music, and Latin Punk Rock. Learn about the Sawdust Carpet traditions with artisans and about Central American Archeology with Dr. Alexander Benitez. See objects related to food, music, and celebrations from Latin America brought to the United States. Activities explore Central American geography, traditional Guatemalan Maya fashion, sawdust carpet traditions, and musical traditions. </p> <p><em>Celebrating Central American Traditions</em> was the Smithsonian Hispanic Heritage Feature Event on September 15, 2012. Participating Smithsonian units include: the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the National Museum of American History, the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, the Smithsonian Heritage Month Steering Committee, and the Smithsonian Latino Center.</p> <p>The Central American Traditions Family Day is made possible by Univision. Additional support is provided by Ford Motor Company Fund. The program also received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered through the Smithsonian Latino Center.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>Esta colección bilingüe de actividades y videos le sirven a estudiantes en grados K-5 y maestros de música y cultura mundial. También les sirve a maestros de secundaria y preparatoria. Disfrute muestras e entrevistas con artistas sobre tradiciones musicales centroamericanas, incluyendo música chanchona salvadoreña, música garífuna hondureña, y punk rock latino. Aprenda sobre las alfombras de aserrín con artesanos y sobre arqueología centroamericana con el Dr. Alexander Benítez. Vea objetos relacionados a temas de comida, música y celebraciones traídos a los Estados Unidos por inmigrantes de Latino América. <br />Las actividades exploran la geografía de Centroamérica, tradiciones mayas de vestuario, tradiciones de alfombras de aserrín, y tradiciones musicales.  </p> <p>Este día de la familia de tradiciones centroamericanas fue el evento de herencia hispana del Smithsonian el 15 de septiembre 2012. El Museo Nacional de Historia Americana, el Museo Hirshhorn y el Jardín de Esculturas, el Centro Smithsonian de Educación y Estudios Museológicos, el Comité Smithsonian de Administración del Mes de la Herencia, y el Centro Latino del Smithsonian forman parte de este día de la familia.</p> <p>El día de la familia, Tradiciones de Centroamérica, es hecho posible por Univision. Apoyo adicional es proporcionado por Ford Motor Company Fund y también ha recibido apoyo federal del Latino Initiatives Pool, administrado por el Centro Latino Smithsonian.</p>
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