What is the most common misperception about the Latino culture?
The diversity of cultures within the Latino community is underestimated and under-appreciated. People assume it’s homogeneous and monolithic, but that’s not the case. We opened a show in Albuquerque about the Asian connection, particularly to Mexico. Another exhibit traced the connection between the Latino and the African cultures. The Smithsonian Latino Center responds to strident calls from inside and outside the Smithsonian Institution to expand the incorporation of the Latino experience into its programs and services. We want to ensure that the American experience includes all of our diverse communities. My task, in a nutshell, is to strengthen the Latino presence institutionally at the Smithsonian.
