Rising to the Challenge

By Estuardo Rodríguez, principal and co-founder, the Raben Group and President/CEO of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino

If you’ve ever been to Washington, D.C., it’s impossible to miss The Washington Monument. It towers over all of the Smithsonian museums and historic buildings on the National Mall—a location that draws more than 25 million people from all over the world each year. Surrounding the monument are 50 American flags representing the 50 states and inside the monument are over 193 memorial

stones contributed by cities, civic societies and states across the country. The National Mall is a conglomeration of this nation’s diversity. In a country with a variety of cultures, histories, and lived experiences, what does it look like to celebrate those differences while remaining a unified nation, speaking with one voice? That is what the National Mall attempts to do: to hold and showcase the stories of everyone in our country.

From the top of the Washington Monument, you can see two sites on the National Mall that were identified by the Smithsonian Board of Regents as optimal locations for the future National Museum of the American Latino and
the American Women’s History Museum. One site is

directly across the promenade from the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the second spot is across from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum near the Tidal Basin. These locations are ideal to help fulfill the original vision of our National Mall as a place to gather, learn and explore our nation’s history.

As President/CEO of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino (FRIENDS), I have spent nearly 20 years advocating for the creation of a National American Latino Museum in our nation’s capital.

Estuardo Rodríguez is a principal and co-founder focused on Government Affairs at the Raben Group and President/CEO of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino. He specializes in direct lobbying on Capitol Hill, the White House, and federal agencies in the areas of financial services, technology and telecommunications industries.

This museum will educate, inspire, and encourage respect and understanding of the richness, diversity and patriotic service of the American Latino experience. Like with the National Women’s History Museum, these museums seek to fill a void that has existed for too long. The absence of these stories, many which have been key to the success of our country, have been shoved aside for generations and must be granted the same opportunity to inspire and energize current and future generations. The question is how long must we wait for these museums to open their doors?

As the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents cannot formally select a location until Congress authorizes use of the National Mall, we must look to our Members of the House and Senate to act swiftly. Congress came together in a strong bipartisan fashion to pass the National Museum of the American Latino Act and the National Women’s History Museum Act in 2020, they must and can do so again. We have accomplished a great deal, but the work remains. We must act on this urgent call to ensure our nation’s full history is told. We know where America’s history is told. We must work together and urge Congress to pass the legislation needed to create a pathway for the Smithsonian to build our National Museum of the American on the National Mall. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the other iconic Smithsonian museums is the only place for these new museums.