Today, President Obama announced the appointment of the following individuals to sit on the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino: Emilio Estefan, Jr., Andrés W. López, Cindy Peña, Abigail M. Pollak, and Cid Wilson. The President also announced that Gilberto Cárdenas and José B. Fernández, who are both current Members of the Commission, will continue their work on the Commission.
“I am pleased to appoint these outstanding men and women to the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino – a museum that would be dedicated to celebrating the history and achievements of Latinos in America,” said President Obama. “It is fitting that, as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, these individuals will reinvigorate the efforts of this commission to honor the contributions of Latinos and Latinas to our country.”
The Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Act was signed into law on May 8, 2008. This law created a 23 member commission made up of Presidential appointees and members of the U.S.House and Senate. The members will be studying the feasibility of and creating a plan for this new national museum. The museum will be dedicated to displaying the art, history, and culture of the Latino population of the U.S.
More detailed bios of the appointed members of the Commission can be found here.
This is really exciting!