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95–897 2004

H.R. 4863, TO ESTABLISH THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

OF THE AMERICAN LATINO

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON HOUSE 

ADMINISTRATION 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, JULY 22, 2004

Printed for the Use of the Committee on House Administration

(

(II)

COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION 

BOB NEY, Chairman 

VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan 

JOHN L. MICA, Florida 

JOHN LINDER, Georgia 

JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California 

THOMAS M. REYNOLDS, New York 

JOHN B. LARSON, Connecticut 

Ranking Minority Member 

JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD, 

California 

ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania 

PROFESSIONAL STAFF

PAUL VINOVICH, Staff Director 

GEORGE SHEVLIN, Minority Staff Director 

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H.R. 4863, TO ESTABLISH THE NATIONAL 

MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO 

THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2004

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, 

Washington, DC. 

The committee met, pursuant to call, at 1:37 p.m., in room 1310, 

Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Robert W. Ney (chairman 

of the committee) Presiding. 

Present: Representatives Ney, Ehlers, Larson, and MillenderMcDonald. 

Staff Present: George Hadijski, Director, Office of Member Services; Paul Vinovich, Staff Director; Payam Zakipour, Professional 

Staff; George Shevlin, Minority Staff Director; Matt Pinkus, Minority Professional Staff Member; and Charles Howell, Minority Chief 

Counsel. 

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. 

Today’s hearing will focus on the proposal to form a commission 

to examine the potential establishment of a National Museum of 

the American Latino in Washington, DC. 

A couple of bills have been introduced on the subject, but today, 

our committee will focus on the most recent, H.R. 4863. 

I would like to thank our panel members who authored the bill, 

the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who will discuss the 

Smithsonian’s perspective on the potential of the museum, and our 

distinguished witnesses, who have extensive backgrounds in museums as well as Latino art, history and culture. 

My goal in today’s hearing will be to discuss this issue broadly, 

and provide some guidance to the future commission looking to the 

challenges that would face all museums we would authorize. These 

challenges always have included, in the past, budgetary constraints, the physical location of the museum itself, staffing, what 

exhibits would be a part of such a collection and ensuring a diverse 

audience to sustain the museum for decades to come. The proposed 

commission would have a great responsibility putting forth recommendations to create a museum that would make the Hispanic 

community proud, make our Nation proud and capture the important contributions that the Hispanic community and Latino community have made to the history and culture of our Country. 

The very discovery of our Country by Christopher Columbus can 

be directly attributed to assistance he received from Queen Isabella 

of Spain. Our ranking Member is a history expert, and he will 

verify that is accurate when he speaks, I hope. 

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In fact, two of the panes in our U.S. Capitol Rotunda highlight 

the accomplishments of Columbus’ discovery of the New World for 

Spain and Hernando de Soto’s discovery of the Mississippi River. 

As a part of our revolutionary history, Hispanic General Bernardo 

de Galvez, who was governor of the Louisiana Territory at the 

time, sent money, rifles and other supplies to General George 

Washington during the Revolutionary War. 

These are a small sampling of the impact and contributions Hispanics have made to our Country’s history. Significant events such 

as these deserve to be captured and memorialized for future generations to learn and appreciate. However, our job today is to ensure that we create a process for doing so, and to make sure it is 

fiscally and socially responsible, yet sustains the idea that we unite 

as one Country of many different cultures, which I think makes our 

Country so great. 

There should always be a compelling reason for the establishment of such a museum. If not, we diminish the significant contributions of all other communities. A strong argument can definitely be made, based on the broad impact Hispanic Americans 

have made on our population, as it is widely predicted that, within 

10 years, Hispanic Americans will comprise the largest minority 

group in our Country. There is a sizable audience who would have 

a strong interest in the establishment of such a museum, but it 

would not be limited to Hispanic Americans. This museum would 

be available to all people, not just in the United States, but around 

the world. 

A strong interest is a vital component of a proposed museum, as 

there is an ongoing concern that, as more and more museums are 

proposed for each respective community, there will be increasing 

pressures on the Federal Government to sustain each museum if 

there is insufficient public interest. This is something that is 

looked at every single time we talk about a new museum. 

That is why precisely we have to look at these decisions and with 

significant forethought. The formation of a commission to look into 

these specific issues, definitely I think, is a step in the right direction that can lead to the building of this great museum. 

Again, I want to welcome everybody here today. I appreciate both 

of our Members, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and also 

Congressman Xavier Becerra, and I appreciate your insight on this 

and the bipartisan support of the bill and bringing this to the committee’s attention. 

With that, I yield to our distinguished ranking Member, Congressman Larson of Connecticut. 

Mr. LARSON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

And let me too extend our welcome to our panelists and distinguished Dr. Small, who joins our two distinguished Members from 

Congress as well. 

I think this is a bill that is long overdue. I thank you for putting 

everything into proper historic perspective. A few gaps, perhaps, 

but nonetheless, I think that is why it is so important that we not 

only treasure our past, but our future. 

And I think, based on the conversations that I have had with our 

distinguished Representatives from California and Florida about 

not only their persistency but the richness in the culture and the 

3

contribution that that culture has made to this great Country of 

ours and indeed around the globe and what a fitting way to establish this through a museum. As we project that into the future and 

we see that population of the United States, it would be near travesty if we did not have here in Washington, DC, a museum that 

focused on the incredible contributions that have been made on behalf of the citizens of this Country by the Latino community. 

I join with you, Mr. Chairman, also in making sure that, for 

mostly jurisdictional purposes, that any such museum would be 

part of the Smithsonian Institution. I expect the commission would 

look at and study whether that would be desirable along with any 

other questions that the bill calls for them to examine. And I am 

pleased that Secretary Small is with us here today to hear his testimony as well. 

And with that, Mr. Chairman, I would yield back and wait with 

anxious anticipation to hear from our distinguished Members of 

Congress. 

[The statement of Mr. Larson follows:]

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The CHAIRMAN. I would like to thank the distinguished ranking 

Member, and we will go right to the panel. 

STATEMENTS OF THE HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA; 

AND THE HON. XAVIER BECERRA, A REPRESENTATIVE IN 

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 

The CHAIRMAN. I have relatives in both of your States, but we 

will start with the gentlewoman from Florida. 

STATEMENT OF THE HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much, Mr. Ney and Mr. 

Larson, for being good friends of this legislation and trying to help 

us shepherd it through its various channels. 

And I especially want to thank my great friend from California, 

Xavier Becerra, for his leadership on this bill. And I want to thank 

him for letting me help him make this bill a reality. I cherish this 

opportunity. Thanks to Xavier, a museum to commemorate Hispanic Americans will soon become a reality and I hope it is soon 

in our Nation’s capital. 

The National Museum of the American Latino is meant to be a 

salute to the nearly 40 million Hispanics who proudly call the 

United States their home. These Americans have contributed their 

time and hard work to make this a better Country. Hispanics have 

accounted for nearly half of the 9.4 million residents added to the 

Nation’s population just since the 2000 census, and our numbers 

show no sign of decreasing. 

The Hispanic population growth rate of 13 percent over the 39-

month period was almost four times that of the total population. 

We Hispanics are very proud to call ourselves Americans. We may 

come from many different places, but we are united in the common 

cause of making this the best Country in the world. 

From the Rio Grande to the Tierra del Fuego, we make up countries as diverse as Mexico and Chile. We populate mountains in 

Peru and beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. Some, like Nicaraguans 

or Cubans like me, came from countries fleeing communism, while 

others came fleeing failing economic situations. Still others, like 

the residents the Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, are Hispanics who are born Americans and are as honored to be a part of 

this great Nation as anyone else in this Chamber. And while we 

are different in many ways, we are also intimately connected. We 

share the same language and many of the same traditions. 

In the United States, Hispanics have made and continue to make 

great contributions. We have served our Country with valor. While 

only comprising 13 percent of the U.S. population, Hispanics make 

up 18 percent of those serving under uniform. Almost one-fourth of 

the active-duty enlisted men and women in the United States 

Army are Hispanic. 

We Hispanics have also served our Country in public office. Xavier and I are just two of the 23 Hispanics who serve in the U.S. 

House of Representatives, and over the entire history of this Congress, 56 others have served in this distinguished Chamber, along 

with three others who have had the privilege of being elected 

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United States Senators. Currently, Hispanics also serve in over 

4,400 other elected public offices throughout our great land. 

Our contribution to this Nation does not stop there. In fact, Hispanics have and will continue to contribute to make sure that this 

remains the greatest Country in the world. Whether it is as director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Service, like 

Eduardo Aguirre, or the former Secretary of HUD, Mel Martinez, 

we are helping to make and keep this the strongest economy in the 

world as a member of the New York Stock Exchange, my constituent, Leo Guzman. 

But this museum is first and foremost for the Hispanic family 

and will continue to work for the American dream. Whether by 

foot, bus, boat or by plane, millions have come here to be part of 

what is still the greatest political experiment in the world. Hispanics also came so their children may grow and have access to 

higher education, so that they can find work and because they 

know that, if you work hard in America, you will achieve your 

dreams. 

In trying to advance themselves, they have immensely improved 

our Country. They have added also a little bit of Latin flavor along 

the way. And what better way to recognize the past contributions 

of the Hispanic community and to encourage new ones from our 

youth than by establishing this National Museum of the American 

Latino right here in Washington, DC. 

This museum will allow our young Hispanics to visit our capital, 

to learn the rich contributions their ancestors have made. But more 

importantly, it will allow them to dream of the endless possibilities 

and achievements that they can make as part of this Nation. This 

museum is an invaluable asset to our Nation. And what better 

place than our Nation’s capital to provide a voice and a face to 

these 40 million Americans. 

And I want to thank the Chair and the ranking Member for allowing my constituent, Diane Camber, the executive director of the 

Bass Museum of Art of Miami Beach, to be one of the witnesses 

here who is a proud promoter of this museum. And I thank the 

Chairman, the ranking Member and the Members of the committee 

as well. 

Thank you, Xavier, for your friendship. 

[The statement of Ms. Ros-Lehtinen follows:]

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The CHAIRMAN. I thank the gentlewoman for her testimony. 

And the gentleman from California. 

STATEMENT OF THE HON. XAVIER BECERRA 

Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Chairman, ranking Member Larson and Members of the committee, thank you very much for holding this hearing on H.R. 4863. 

I would also like to thank my friend and colleague from Florida, 

Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, not just for being a cosponsor but being 

an indispensable supporter and cosponsor of this legislation. 

This is a bill that will, we hope, move through Congress in a bipartisan fashion and gather the support of people throughout this 

Country that recognize that there is not only an interest but a need 

to reflect what is America throughout our institutions of culture, 

art and history. 

The commission that would be established under H.R. 4863 

would establish the National Museum of the American Latino Commission. And this commission would be charged with examining 

and reporting to Congress and the President the parameters of a 

plan to establish a new museum dedicated to the art, history, and 

culture of the Latino population of the United States. 

The commission would be comprised of experts from the various 

fields of national art, the museum communities, and it would also 

include individuals with experience in administration and development of cultural institutions. The commissioners would be appointed on a bipartisan basis by the President and leaders of the 

House and the Senate. 

Three years ago, the National Capital Planning Commission gave 

expression to the primary function of the cultural and historical exhibitions on the National Mall. It said, quote, ‘‘The memorials and 

museums that define Washington’s monumental core express 

America’s connection to its past and its direction for the future . . . 

They help us understand what it means to be an American.’’ Latinos have been part of American history since before the 

founding of the United States. They were present on the American 

continent for more than 2 centuries prior to the Declaration of 

Independence. Spanish colonists founded the first permanent settlement in the continental United States in St. Augustine, Florida, 

in 1565, four decades before Jamestown and Plymouth Rock. And 

during the American Revolution, General Washington’s army was 

successful at Yorktown in part because of support from a multi-ethnic army lead by Bernardo de Galvez on a southern front against 

the British, driving them out of the Gulf of Mexico, fighting them 

on the Mississippi and in Florida. 

In every subsequent military conflict, Latino soldiers have fought 

alongside their American brethren. In fact, there are proportionately larger number of our Nation’s Congressional Medal of Honor 

awardees that are of Latino heritage than from any other ethnic 

group. 

We are a Nation of 290 million people, 40 million of whom are 

Latinos that share a heritage drawn from a combination of Old 

World and New World cultures. Among America’s ethnic groups, 

Latinos are unique in the fact that you can find mixed strains of 

cultural influence from Europe, Africa and the pre-Colombian 

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Americas, and the mixtures of cultures makes many Latinos open 

to change, to adoption of new norms and customs, to add new flavors to the recipes we cook and to accept differences in others. In 

a word, Latinos reflect what it means to be an American, a citizen 

of a Nation that welcomes and embraces diversity. 

For many, many years, many Americans—Latinos and otherwise—believed that the mosaic portrayed in Washington museums 

was missing a few tiles. In response, during the 1990’s, the Smithsonian examined itself and determined in its own studies that the 

mirror it was holding up to America was indeed incomplete. In 

1997, The Center on Latino Initiatives was launched in part as an 

effort to respond to those studies and to help lead to the future. 

In the last several years, the Center For Latino Initiatives has 

successfully promoted many more Latino-inclusive programs for the 

entire Smithsonian. The center itself made the museum community 

in Washington more reflective of the entire American population 

and has been at the core of the organization of several important 

national traveling exhibits. 

I am not a museum expert nor an art historian, but there are 

plenty of talented people in the community that could think seriously about what it would take to begin this project. The commission proposed by this legislation would determine how best to reflect historical and cultural contributions of the diverse community 

and of the 40 million Latinos living in the United States. 

Washington is a capital that represents so much of what is 

America, and so many people come to visit Washington because of 

what it represents: 17 million people visited last year, and 1 million came from outside of this Country to visit Washington, D.C. 

One in three of these individuals who visited did visit an art or history museum. Over 35 million individuals attend the Smithsonian 

museums and traveling exhibits every year; 90 percent of these 

visitors are from the United States. As you can imagine, many are 

children visiting with their parents or on school trips. 

This legislation, H.R. 4863, is just another building block in developing what has become the American experience—what we 

teach ourselves and share with the world. Passage of this bill 

would be the first step towards giving America and all of its people 

a better chance to fully experience what it means to be an American. 

Once again, Mr. Chairman, ranking Member Larson and Members of this committee, thank you to you, to the Members of this 

committee. 

Thank you to principal cosponsor and friend, Congresswoman 

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. 

We look forward to working with all of you to make sure that 

this legislation has an opportunity to pass. 

Thank you. 

[The statement of Mr. Becerra follows:]

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The CHAIRMAN. I want to thank you for your testimony. 

And I will defer at this time to the ranking Member if he has 

questions. 

Mr. LARSON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Again, I just want to applaud both of you. 

Both the Chairman and I have discussed how important we believe this legislation is and will do everything to move it forward 

in an aggressive a fashion as we can. I know that we have been 

joined by two other distinguished Members, so I will yield at this 

time back to the Chairman so he can recognize the other Members 

for any statement that they might have. 

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Michigan. 

Mr. EHLERS. No questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. The gentlewoman from California. 

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and 

ranking Member. 

I thank my friends for being here this morning. It is a pleasure 

for you to come before this committee to talk about the rich heritage of the Latino population. We recognize the contributions that 

you have made to this Country and to your own native countries, 

the doctors and lawyers and attorneys and just those who work in 

the commonplace that provide such distinction among Americans 

because they are Americans. 

And so it is so fitting for you to be in front of this committee to 

talk about a museum of culture. A museum that will display the 

rich heritage of your people, which really are our people because 

we are all people of one, and that is America. 

Thank you all, both of you, for being here and for bringing this 

piece of legislation and this initiative to us. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. With that, no further questions, you are getting 

off the hook easy. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Muchas gracias. 

The CHAIRMAN. Sı ́. 

Mr. BECERRA. We did not realize you are bilingual. 

The CHAIRMAN. Sı ́, Sı ́. Two sı ́’s. 

We appreciate you bringing up the idea, and I think it is a tremendous idea. I think it is good for the Country. It is good for the 

culture, and the people, and I think visitors from all over the world 

would really appreciate it. I think it is something for future generations that will be a wonderful legacy that the Congress can give to 

the people who visit D.C. I really do not have any questions. 

Mr. BECERRA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Members, thank you very much. 

The CHAIRMAN. We will move to the second panel. 

I want to welcome the second panel to the table. We have joining 

us Lawrence Small, who is Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. In addition, we have Diane Camber, executive chief and curator of the Bass Museum of Art in Miami, Florida, and Dr. Jonathan 

Lorenzo Yorba, who chairs the Latino Network Professional Interest Committee of the American Association of Museums. 

21

STATEMENTS OF LAWRENCE M. SMALL, SECRETARY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION; DIANE W. CAMBER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-CHIEF CURATOR, BASS MUSEUM OF ART, SOUTH 

BEACH, FLORIDA; AND JONATHAN LORENZO YORBA, CHAIR, 

LATINO NETWORK PROFESSIONAL INTEREST COMMITTEE, 

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS 

The CHAIRMAN. I want to welcome all of to you the Capitol. 

And Secretary Small, we will begin with you. 

STATEMENT OF LAWRENCE M. SMALL 

Mr. SMALL. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman and Members 

of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding legislation concerning a National Museum of the American 

Latino within the Smithsonian Institution. 

The Smithsonian, as a matter of policy, does not comment on 

pending legislation. However, I do want to say that the 

Smithsonian’s Board of Regents and I would certainly welcome 

working with any commission the Congress might establish to 

study the establishment of a National Museum of the American 

Latino. 

I am here today to stress that the Smithsonian is deeply committed to enhancing its role in presenting the great contributions 

made by Latinos to the history and culture of this Country. We 

would like to be farther along in this important effort than we are, 

and we are working diligently to do just that. 

As you all know, the Smithsonian is the largest museum and research complex in the world, so I also want to stress today that I 

firmly believe that the Smithsonian has the managerial capacity to 

handle the sizable and complex challenges that are inherent in delivering the vital service that we do to the American people and 

public. And by way of example, just think of this: Last year, in less 

than a year we have opened the National Air and Space Museum’s 

$300 million-plus companion facility that is adjacent to Dulles Airport. We have opened up the $35 million Hall of Mammals at the 

National Museum of Natural History, the $31 million Transportation Hall, America on the Move, at the National Museum of 

American History. Just 2 months from now, the $220 million National Museum of the American Indian will open up on the Mall. 

We are rapidly progressing on the $216 million revitalization of the 

168-year-old Patent Office Building, which is home to the National 

Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as 

well as completing $1.5 billion worth of deferred maintenance on 

our more than 400 buildings in the Smithsonian. And then, pursuant to last December’s legislation, we have started on the National 

Museum of African American History and Culture which will be 

the 19th museum within the Smithsonian. 

So I am convinced that the fundamental challenge we face is not 

managerial capacity. We can get big projects done. The challenge 

is getting the money to do them. The Smithsonian thrives because 

of a public-private partnership that has been in place since its 

founding in 1846. That is essential to our future success. If the 

Government and the private sector provide the money, the Smithsonian can get the job done. 

22

With those two points in mind, let me just very briefly outline 

the efforts that have been made by the Smithsonian to tell the 

compelling story of the extensive Latino contribution to our Country. As Congressman Becerra mentioned, the Smithsonian Center 

for Latino Initiatives, established in 1997, is really galvanizing efforts across the entire Smithsonian. There are major initiatives 

under way with exhibitions, with public programs, with Web sites, 

education, activities and outreach. 

Just here on the National Mall a few weeks ago, we had the 38th 

Annual National Folklife Festival; 800,000 people came to it. And 

featured very prominently was the Latino music program which 

was called Nuestra Musica: Music in Latino Culture. This is a first 

in a 4-year series that we are doing on Latin music. The public 

loved it. Congressman Becerra came and participated in the opening festivities, and while that was going on, we held the 2004 

Smithsonian Institution Interpretation and Representation of 

Latino Cultures which is an annual forum that we do for cultural 

representatives and scholars to discuss how to improve the connection between museums and Latino communities. 

These two events occurring simultaneously served as bookends 

for this vibrant array of programs that take place in the Smithsonian. I do want to say that these programs would not take place 

without your help. I really want to thank the Members of Congress 

for the support of the Smithsonian’s Latino Initiatives Pool which 

was created in 1995. This pool distributes a Federal appropriation 

of about $1 million each year to Smithsonian units that are seeking 

to produce Latino-related events and reach Latino audiences. In 

the past 10 years, the pool has distributed more than $10 million 

to over 130 projects, programs, exhibitions, live performances and 

outreach initiatives. 

Congress has, in fact, increased the appropriated funding for the 

Latino Initiative Pool in fiscal year 2004 to $1.2 million, approximately. And in turn, what this has done is given the ability to the 

Smithsonian to leverage dollars from the private sector. Most recently, the Ford Motor Company has donated approximately $1.8 

million in support of two major traveling exhibitions, one, Our 

Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement, and another which is called Retratos—which means ‘‘portraits’’—2,000 

Years of Latin American Portraits. 

This most recent exhibition that we have done, Our Journeys/

Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement—which many Members saw at the National Museum of American History—is now 

touring the Country. It is now on exhibit in Chicago and will open 

in San Jose in September, Fort Wayne in December, San Juan in 

April 2005, Detroit in November 2005, and Decatur in February 

2006. 

We have a great array of Web sites that are sponsored by the 

Smithsonian Center of Latino Initiatives. They are getting roughly 

2.7 million hits a year. And the bottom line is that we want to do 

more of this type of thing. We are seeking to increase private-sector 

support across the Institution for our Latino-related activities because, frankly, the Smithsonian faces significant constraints regarding its Federal budget. 

23

Our requirements simply far exceed what is available and not 

having enough money to do what needs to be done remains an 

issue. Dealing with our dilapidated buildings and many exhibits 

that are in need of modernization while keeping the public, our employees and the Nation’s treasured collections safe is a real challenge. 

But in spite of that, we are very serious about our commitment 

to seeing that the Smithsonian represents the cultural mosaic that 

has made the United States so vibrantly unique. The Smithsonian 

is truly dedicated to reaching out to every American with the story 

of all Americans. 

Thank you. 

[The statement of Mr. Small follows:]

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The CHAIRMAN. I thank the Secretary for his testimony. 

Dr. Yorba. 

STATEMENT OF DR. JONATHAN LORENZO YORBA 

Dr. YORBA. Thank you, Chairman Ney and Members of the Committee, for inviting me to comment on H.R. 4863, which will authorize the establishment of a Presidential Commission to develop 

a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of the National Museum of the American Latino. 

My name is Jonathan Yorba, and I am honored to appear before 

you wearing three professional hats. First, I am chair of the American Association of Museums Latino Network Professional Interest 

Committee, a national group of museum professionals that is dedicated to fostering a greater understanding and exchange of crosscultural dialogue on issues pertinent to Latinos and Latino art and 

culture. 

Second, I am adjunct professor of museum studies at John F. 

Kennedy University in Berkeley, California. 

Third, I am executive director of La Plaza de Cultura y Artes 

Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that is building—in collaboration with the County of Los Angeles—a significant institution that will celebrate the founding of the city, the continuing 

Mexican influence on arts and culture, and the growing Latino 

presence and contributions. 

My hope is that my brief testimony today will help you in considering, at a future point, approving legislation that would establish 

the Commission. 

In thinking carefully about my charge, I bear in mind a lesson 

that continues to resonate with me personally and professionally: 

The humanities are referential, dialectic and tentative. In the same 

way, a Presidential Commission would need to carefully and 

thoughtfully consider a number of critical factors related to the establishment of a National Museum of the American Latino, by placing such factors in comparative perspective to other national cultural institutions, by engaging in considered dialogue with a number of stakeholders, and then presenting to the President and Congress a more richly informed perspective than what the Commission Members began with. 

In the time that I have, I will address a few of these considerations that I imagine the Commission would need to explore. They 

are: need, viability, programs and community reception and impact. 

On the idea of whether the Nation needs a Latino museum, two 

ideas come to mind. The first is from the report Excellence and Equity, Education and the Public Dimension of Museums, whose principles state in general that museums have the power to nurture an 

enlightened humane citizenry that appreciates the value of knowing about its past, is resourcefully and sensitively engaged in the 

present, and is determined to shape a future in which a variety of 

experiences and points of view are given voice. This speaks to one 

of the unique features of the American museum: its educational dimension. 

The second is a provocative quote that I once heard ethnic studies scholar Dr. Ronald Takaki paraphrase: ‘‘What happens when 

someone with the authority of, say, a teacher describes the world 

32

and you are not in it? There is a moment of psychic disequilibrium—as if you looked into the mirror and saw nothing.’’ If museums are indeed at their core educational institutions, 

then current residents of and visitors to Washington, DC would not 

be able to find a single prominent cultural institution in which to 

learn about the many contributions of Latinos through permanent 

exhibitions and educational programs. But were a National Museum of the American Latino to be considered, its viability would 

then need to be examined. This could include such elements as 

structure, site and support. There are a number of existing models 

to draw upon for examples, which again, a Presidential Commission would need to explore. 

In reading through the Congressional Record regarding H.R. 

4863, various findings of Congress on the subject are presented. 

Therefore, through such organizations as the American Association 

of Museums Latino Network and other related organizations, the 

Commission would surely discover the tremendous variety of 

Latino cultures and potential exhibitions and collections that are 

available for possible display in such a National Museum of the 

American Latino. The key will be to determine how such primary 

issues as representation and (re)presentation—that is the interpretive component—are taken into consideration. 

Last but not least, in the American museums’ move toward civic 

and community engagement, the Presidential Commission would 

need to listen to the voices of many communities to understand 

how such a national museum would be received. Furthermore, in 

talking with a number of stakeholders around the Nation, the 

Commission Members would learn about the existence of a number 

of Latino museums—whether they are focused on a single culture 

or their mission is to serve pan-Latino audiences. The Commission 

Members would then have to explore what effect the establishment 

of a National Latino museum would have on these institutions. 

Museums began as cabinets of curiosity, assumed a civilizing 

function, asserted their educational importance, have become forums for cultural exchange, and are determined to play a significant role in community and civic engagement. 

In order to explore the factors I have briefly raised, as well as 

others that will emerge, I overwhelmingly support the establishment of a Presidential Commission to establish a National Museum 

of the American Latino. 

Thank you. 

[The statement of Dr. Yorba follows:]

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The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Doctor. 

And Director Diane Camber. 

STATEMENT OF DIANE W. CAMBER 

Ms. CAMBER. Mr. Chairman and committee, thank you for inviting me to provide testimony to your committee on H.R. 4863, creating a commission to study a National Museum of the American 

Latino within the Smithsonian Institute. I very much appreciate 

this honor to be able to speak about this major piece of legislation. 

My name is Diane Camber, and I serve as the executive director 

and chief curator of the Bass Museum of Art in South Beach, 

Miami Beach, Florida. I have served in this position since 1980, 

and during this time, we have been fortunate to increase the size 

of our permanent collection fivefold and institute a broad range of 

educational programs, a school specializing in technology and art 

and produce many scholarly publications plus organize more than 

150 special exhibitions, a number of which represent Latino culture. 

We will be one of the host institutions for the Retratos exhibition 

that Secretary Small referred to earlier which will open at El 

Museo Del Barrio in New York and then travel throughout the 

Country, and I believe its last stop will be here at the National 

Portrait Gallery or on the Mall. 

Currently, we are exhibiting Picasso’s famous Suite 341 in conjunction with the Bancaja Foundation of Valencia, Spain. This exhibition reflects the mission of the museum to exhibit the best of 

world art as well as serve our diverse ethnic constituents. The Bass 

Museum of Art is a municipal art museum of the City of Miami 

Beach, and it is also a public-private partnership like the Smithsonian. 

It is the city’s cultural centerpiece, an encyclopedic art museum 

with the most comprehensive collection in the region. The Bass 

Museum is undergoing a major multiyear expansion designed by 

world renowned Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, which will triple 

our exhibition space, add a media center and expanded capabilities 

for interactive exhibitions and educational programming which will 

undoubtedly enable us to do even more with Latino culture. 

Mr. Chairman, we are in the district of Congresswoman RosLehtinen, and we share her enthusiasm and Congressman 

Becerra’s, for the legislation being considered by the committee 

today. We are proud of the leadership that these two Congress people have given to this important legislation. And before us is an example of their forward thinking, both for the District, our district, 

and the Nation. 

Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s district, in fact all of the State of 

Florida, has been greatly enriched by its long association with Hispanic culture as well as a significant and increasingly diverse 

Latino population that resides there today. Miami and South Florida receive enormous benefits from its close proximity to so many 

vibrant Latin American countries. Indeed, Miami is considered the 

capital of Latin America. 

As the committee knows, both native and foreign born Latinos in 

the United States have influenced and enriched this Country since 

its founding, and today, they continue to make such a significant 

38

contribution in all realms, in academia, the arts, humanities and 

in popular culture, to the benefit of all Americans. Their contributions and accomplishments should and must be recognized on a 

scale that is fitting of them. 

In view of this large and growing segment of our population, in 

view of the astounding contributions that Latinos have made to our 

Nation, consideration of this National Museum of the American 

Latino is essential. On a personal note, as a native Floridian, I 

should share with you that Desi Arnaz performed as a 17-year-old 

immigrant from Cuba in a small cafe that my father opened in 

South Beach in the 1930s and went on to great fame as an entertainer. Recently, I had the delight to meet his daughter, Lucie, who 

was performing in Picasso at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in 

Miami, who told me when I revealed this that her father talked 

about this. His parents in Cuba hadn’t wanted him to be an entertainer. He left Cuba, came from an affluent family, came to Miami 

and got his first job as a guitarist and went on to great fame and 

fortune. 

Other Latinos like Desi Arnaz have come to our shores and 

added so much from every country in Central and South America 

and the Caribbean, and I have been fortunate to work with artists 

from many of these countries and communities. I have long been 

impressed with the significant contributions in the realm of the visual arts, of course, but also in the realm of popular culture and entertainment. 

The exhibits on our National Mall that are so important as an 

attraction to this area, but not only that, as a mecca for all of us 

who reside in this Country, will only be enhanced by the addition 

of such a museum. With the leadership of this committee and the 

Smithsonian, I am looking forward to the day when this happens. 

And when such a museum will join the family of Smithsonian museums, it will surely become a nationally and internationally renowned center for the study and appreciation of the diverse and 

great contributions that Latinos have made and continue to make 

to the benefit of our Nation. And it will be a beacon for all time. 

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and committee, for considering and forwarding this important legislation. 

[The statement of Ms. Camber follows:]

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The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much for your testimony. 

I have a question, and I don’t know who would be the most appropriate to answer, possibly the Secretary, also Congressman 

Becerra is still here if he would like to answer. I was looking at 

the Senate language, and it said, ‘‘possible locations for the museum in Washington, DC, and its environs to be considered in consultation with,’’ et cetera. In the House bill, it says: ‘‘possible locations for the museum on or adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, DC.’’ So that is one difference of the two bills. 

With the African-American museum we had discussions about 

sites—where it would go. The commission to set-up the museum 

had a lot of different opinions. Of course, we worked with Congressman Lewis and Kingston and developed a totally agreed-to 

bill. However the issue always comes up of site locations. 

On this particular issue, like you said, the one bill is saying in 

the environs of Washington, and the other says on or adjacent to 

the National Mall. I am not debating that issue, but I have a question. When commissions look at this, if it says on or adjacent to the 

National Mall, does that limit the commission’s ability to look at 

a wide scope of where a museum would go? Considering we are 

running out of space, does that limit it or does that not hinder a 

commission’s ability to look at where a museum would potentially 

go? 

Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Chairman, I think you have articulated well 

some of the issues that come up with regard to any museum or institution that we may try to place somewhere in Washington, DC. 

The language that we used in the House differs slightly from the 

Senate. The adjacent allows it to be something that could be built 

somewhere within the D.C. area, certainly close to the Mall. The 

language in the Senate offers you more of an expansive interpretation of where it could be placed. And I think most us, whether in 

the Senate or the House, probably would agree that this is something really that the commission would come back to Congress and 

recommend. 

Those of us who are interested in moving this issue forward want 

to move the issue forward and do not want to, in the initial step 

of forming the commission, constrain that commission and its experts from coming up with the best place, the best way and all of 

the different implements and tools that would be needed to make 

it happen from being inside the ability of the commission to decide. 

So those are the issues that, at the end, will be left to the commission to decide. And the language provides some latitude for 

them to make those determinations. 

The CHAIRMAN. So the Senate language is quite broad, but your 

language is not saying it has to be looked at only on the Mall, because the commission might come back and say there is no room, 

but it would be adjacent areas to the Mall. 

Mr. BECERRA. That is correct. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thanks. That clears up my question. 

The District of Columbia—help me on this, I am sympathetic of 

our Congresswoman from the District of Columbia, because any 

time something goes on within the District—(it is our second city, 

we have our home cities but we spend a couple of days a week 

46

here). The District of Columbia is involved in consultation—are 

they or are they not—when the commission looks at it? 

Mr. Secretary. Any input—I am talking about traffic, parking. 

Mr. SMALL. Probably, that would be the case when a commission 

like—I would imagine—I believe that would be the case because, 

obviously, when people get to either siting a building or designing 

a building, they end up having to talk to various authorities in the 

City Government, the National Capital Planning Commission, the 

Fine Arts Commission et cetera. So it would be perfectly normal 

that they would be consulted. 

The CHAIRMAN. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, whether we are talking about closing Independence or Constitution, we 

always try to agree for the interests of the District of Columbia. I 

am just talking about traffic and the future plans of the District 

of Columbia, and that answers my question. 

The only other one I would have, so I won’t take up all the time, 

Ms. Camber, you have had a lot of success in expanding the collections at the Bass Museum of Art, and you have grown the museum 

itself. Can you just tell us a couple of key ingredients doing that? 

Also were there any key stumbling blocks? 

Ms. CAMBER. I think the key ingredient is recognizing the diversity of the community, and it is recognizing their interests. Because 

when I came to the museum, the only collection was a predominantly European old masters collection. And while that has proved 

very significant and served the universities in particular as being 

an area where they could study in the flesh, if you will, a Rubens 

painting or a Botticelli, it was important to look at the greater community and see where its interests were. 

So I think that is very, very important. I would hope that this 

new museum will be as diverse as it could possibly be and give 

some attention—I am sure people have given thought to this already—to the Caribbean communities also that are part of the 

Latino culture. In a way, if we are talking about linguistically, we 

are less recognized—Miami is such a microcosm for the diversity 

of the Latino culture, we have virtually every Latin American, Central American and Caribbean culture residing in our area, and 

many, many artists. And also, involving artists is very important 

in this effort. They are often overlooked in the process. We are consumers of art in an art museum, but involving the artist in the 

planning process may be important. 

Growing the collections, I think, for a national museum will 

probably be far easier than it has been for a regional or local museum. I think, when you do this, people will come forward with collections of all sorts. But there are many important Latino culture 

collections that reside in private hands that may come out when it 

is announced in a formal way that there truly will be such a museum. And I see it as being a highly successful endeavor. 

The CHAIRMAN. Dr. Yorba, if this proceeds, do you see—in what 

you have been involved with as professional interest—a networking 

where you will get advice or consultation from museums across the 

U.S. to come up with ideas? 

Mr. YORBA. Absolutely. A number of years ago, one of the programs that the Center for Latino Initiatives produced was to bring 

together, for the first time, all of the directors of Latino museums. 

47

There is a broad network. In addition, the Latino Network that I 

chair has as its purpose to be that vehicle. In addition, I brought 

with me a listing of the Latino museums in the Nation. We are in 

the process of updating it, but when I flipped through it this morning as I was flying in, there is nothing in Washington, DC. So as 

we are talking about the concept of physical space, there surely is 

a need. 

There is another kind of a space though that I would like to 

bring up, and that is the concept of social space. Having the level 

of representation at the national level is critical. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. 

The gentleman from Connecticut. 

Mr. LARSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

And again, I want to thank the panelists. I have three questions 

and primarily informational, and one of them I am going to direct 

to Representative Becerra who has worked so hard on this and 

whose passion I so deeply appreciate. It is really just one of a semantical question, I guess. But in terms of arriving at—in the discussion between you and Ileana and the committee, how did you 

arrive at the name of American Latino? And was there discussion? 

Because oftentimes my constituents will inquire of me the difference between Latino and Hispanic and what that means culturally. I would find that informative myself and would be interested in how you arrived at that. 

My second question would be directed to Dr. Small and that 

would be on, based on the already $1 million budget cut in the Appropriations Committee—and I noted your very political answer, 

and plus your enthusiasm for wanting to move forward with this, 

what is it that you would need, facing all the conditions that you 

face currently, as you pointed out very appropriately, with all the 

challenges the Smithsonian has, what kind of funding level do you 

think you would need in order to proceed? 

And finally, to both Dr. Yorba and Ms. Camber, when you are 

looking at the largest Latino museums in the Country, where are 

they? And do you have particular specializations by type of exhibit 

or countries represented? Do they tend to be in general collections? 

Those are the three questions I have, and I will start with the 

distinguished gentleman from California. 

Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Larson, if there is any question more difficult 

to answer than where will you site this museum in Washington, 

D.C., it is what will you name it, for the reasons you just pointed 

out. If we were to go to certain parts of the Country, New Mexico, 

you might want to call it the Hispano-American museum. Some 

areas of the Country would say Hispanic-American. Others would 

say American Latino. 

I, frankly, do not care so much about the name. I am more interested in what Dr. Yorba said, about having the social presence, 

physical presence of an institution that would reflect what we are 

as an American people. And the last thing I would want us to do 

is get to the point where a name is what stops us from having an 

institution. 

But it was a name that was discussed among many who worked 

on this issue. And we adopted what we thought was what was most 

48

supported and proposed by those who have been expert in moving 

this issue forward over the many, many years. 

Mr. LARSON. Again, I thank you for your passion. 

And Dr. Yorba I saw you nodding your head did you want to 

comment at all? 

Mr. YORBA. There is an African American historian who has 

written that ‘‘naming is a form of power, and images have the 

power to define place and personality.’’ And very much what Congressman Becerra said is true. If you go to different parts of the 

Nation, people will say that they self-identify in different ways. 

The most critical part of the name to me is the ‘‘national museum.’’ It speaks, therefore, of the place and power to define that 

social space for Latinos. 

And, again, I am sure that the Commission will have some very 

interesting, perhaps contentious, conversations. But in the end, 

what really matters is that we are creating the actual entity for the 

display of Latino material culture. 

Mr. LARSON. Very well put. 

Did you want to comment as well, Diane? 

Ms. CAMBER. I agree with Dr. Yorba. What is most important is 

that there be such a national movement. I think the word Latino 

or the use of that term perhaps wise to an extent because it is the 

most inclusive. So you might want to consider in this museum representing cultures that are represented in our population, certainly 

in Miami, such as Brazilians who are not Spanish speaking and 

Caribbean cultures. That is going to be for the commission to decide. But that is a personal perspective. I deal with that on a daily 

basis. 

Also, we have a large Haitian community which can be considered Latin in the broadest sense, because French is a related language there. But whatever it is, it should be a national museum 

that finally represents this huge and growing part of our population. And the diversity of the collections is a consideration also. 

Will it have history and art? I think it probably should, but, again, 

that is my personal perspective. 

Mr. SMALL. If the question is what kind of incremental resources 

would a museum of this nature entail, obviously, it would be premature to comment simply because the commission has not even 

made any recommendations as to what it would be. Empirically, if 

you look back at other museums that the Smithsonian has done, 

the National Museum of the American Indian or other large museums, you are talking about a project that, had it been done in the 

late 1990s and early 2000, a museum like the new Air and Space 

Museum is a $300 million-plus project. The National Museum of 

the American Indian totals $220 million. 

And then you end up ultimately with staffs in these stand-alone 

museums of several hundred people, costing tens of millions of dollars a year. So, if the commission were ultimately to recommend 

such an institution and have it in the Smithsonian, you can be sure 

that it will require hundreds of millions of dollars to create it and 

tens of millions a dollars a year to run it. 

Mr. LARSON. Plus that also we must take into consideration as 

well, as you said, the ongoing maintenance of all the Smithsonian 

facilities, sets. So my point was that with budget cuts like this, I 

49

know the balancing act that goes on, and I think it is important 

that our committee especially, which has cognizance, makes sure to 

the appropriating committees just how important this is and the 

fact that we want to see appropriate funding there because of the 

kind of treasures, as you so appropriately put it, that you protect 

and safeguard and the tremendous exposure that Americans have. 

I was here on the 4th with my family and just saw the massive 

crowds; in fact, went by and didn’t have the fortunate experience 

of hearing Mr. Becerra, but nonetheless we did enjoy a lot of the 

music that was pervading from the Mall as well. It is an extraordinary experience. 

We are so well served by the Smithsonian and we should endeavor to do everything we can to make sure you are appropriately 

funded. Thank you. 

For Dr. Yorba and Ms. Camber, my question was about the largest museums that exist today and what kind of specialties they 

present and perhaps your vision, part of which you already started 

down the path, to talk about what you see for the national museum. 

Mr. YORBA. To your point, you said, ‘‘Where are they?’’ And I 

imagine you are talking about the collections, the material culture 

that exists. If you go to the majority of the leading institutions in 

any State, you will find something. Diane mentioned that there are 

a number of private collections. But there is also an important collection, and that is the Smithsonian Institution itself, in which it 

has art, history, and other kinds of material culture that are in the 

process of being revealed through exhibitions. 

I know that that is something Secretary Small and other initiatives are working collectively on with the Institution. The critical 

point is that the Nation owns much of this material, and it is now 

up to the Commission to determine how to work not only with the 

Smithsonian, but also with other institutions throughout the Nation—perhaps in some kind of reciprocal relationship to have the 

works displayed. 

Ms. CAMBER. I am not an expert on Latino museums in the 

United States, but my overall impression is that they tend to be 

small and started up because of local interest and participation, 

and that they need a lot of nurturing and are beginning to grow 

and develop. But I think having such a national museum would 

help these institutions, because there would be this great national 

recognition of these important cultures. 

Mr. LARSON. I thank all three of you for your very fine contribution and testimony. 

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Michigan. 

Mr. EHLERS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to get into 

some of the broader policy issues. Before I do that, I would just 

suggest to resolve the naming controversy, just name it the Becerra 

museum or the Ros-Lehtinen, things like that. That is the good 

news. The bad news, of course, we couldn’t do that until you die, 

so you will never get to see it. 

But I am most worried about the broad policy issues. And I recall 

when we considered the African American Museum and its location, they wanted it on the Mall. The argument was, well, the 

American Indian or Native American Museum is on the Mall, so 

50

we should be in the Mall too. Largely because of the Senate, I believe they simply said no. And, frankly, my druthers would be that 

the American Indian not be on the Mall either. 

And, Mr. Small, these questions are primarily addressed to you, 

because even though you said you don’t comment on pending legislation, you do have the responsibility for the overall planning and 

policy setting for the museum along with your board. And it seems 

to me what would be ideal in this situation rather than to do as 

we have been doing, which is just sort of a hodgepodge—someone 

wants a museum, we say yes, and they raise some money and we 

do it, and on an ad hoc basis decide where it is to be located, et 

cetera—it would be much better to have an overall policy of we are 

going to have, for lack of a better term, cultural museums. I think 

there would be real advantages to having them side by side so that 

members of the general public who are interested in all these different cultures can see them on one trip or become acquainted with 

them on a one-by-one basis. 

Another question is the financial aspects. I recall meeting with 

you shortly after you took your position, and your biggest concern 

was where is the money coming from? And you had to do some serious chopping over a number of years. In fact, I was worried you 

might get the nickname ‘‘Chainsaw Larry’’ with all the cutting that 

you had to do. And I wouldn’t be surprised if your staff had already 

dreamed that up before I mentioned it. There are some serious 

problems here. 

Another issue that it seems to me is important, are you going to 

do this on a linguistic basis? And, Ms. Camber, you mentioned 

something related to that problem. I had thought of the same thing 

before. If we do something for the Latinos, what about the Brazilians, what about some of the Caribbean nations’ different languages, or even there are some that speak Dutch. So are you going 

to do it on a linguistic basis or location basis or a cultural basis? 

And then the question is how are we going to deal with all the future requests. My parents were Dutch immigrants, so I am partial 

to the Dutch. My wife’s parents were also Dutch immigrants. So we 

are both partial to the Dutch. I think it would be wonderful to have 

a Dutch museum. But then you may have other groups. Our Chairman may want a Farsi-speaking museum. Appalachians that speak 

Farsi. Okay, that might reduce the fund-raising basis quite a bit. 

But at any rate, what I am getting at, Dr. Small, is the real issue 

here of what is our policy going to be. We can’t ad-hoc it anymore. 

We have done that already and I don’t think the results have always been that good. I think it would be great if we could establish 

a cultural center. They are supposedly going to tear down the old 

Convention Center. Would that be a good location for a cluster of 

culture museums where people who are interested in that can see 

not only their own heritage but the heritage of many other peoples? 

Because after all, we are Americans. We come—there are many 

cultures, but we are unified as Americans. And so you can have 

something that brings together everyone. 

These are some of the issues I would like to see addressed. We 

are not going to do it as long as we do this on a one-by-one basis, 

building-by-building basis. 

51

Now my question to you is, have you thought about any of these 

questions? Has your board looked into any of these questions? Are 

you interested in developing an overall policy for cultural museums? And if so, where does that stand? 

Mr. SMALL. These questions most certainly have been debated 

and extensively discussed by the Board of Regents at the Smithsonian, and certainly by the staff, for an extended period of time. I 

think the essence of it all is that the Smithsonian is responding 

more than anything else to Congress. 

Congress’s first wish over the last few years has been for the 

Smithsonian allegedly not to expand. And the reason is that there 

is a billion and a half dollars of deferred maintenance on the existing buildings, and the funding has been very tight. And there is 

certainly no lack of logic in that particular point of view. But at 

the same time, legislation has been passed to have a National Museum of the American Indian, a National Museum of African American History and Culture, and to have them in the Smithsonian. 

The Smithsonian is delighted to be working on these and honored to be working on them, but has to deal with the issue that, 

as these multi-hundred million dollar projects get put in place that 

carry with them tens of millions of dollars of operating cost, it also 

to a certain extent, has had its base operations cannibalized to do 

these new things. And these new things involve further maintenance. 

As to whether there could be a master plan for this, that would 

be something that the Congress would get behind in a big way, I 

honestly don’t know. But we are right now dealing with a series 

of very specific pieces of legislation that have been enacted in the 

past. 

The issue of the Mall has not been put out of bounds for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The four 

sites cited in the legislation have to ultimately be chosen among by 

the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents; and two of them are, in fact, 

on the Mall. So that is not a topic that has come to an end. 

It may be that there could be some master plan out there that 

would be acceptable to Congress. But I think the fact is that we 

are dealing with specific pieces of legislation that have been initiated by Members of Congress. And it may well be that there will 

be others coming as other groups, as you point out, see the success 

of, let’s say, the National Museum of the American Indian, which 

I think is going to be brilliantly executed, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which will have all 

the signs of being a superb institution as well. 

Mr. EHLERS. So your basic answer is you don’t see yourself as 

setting the policy unless the Congress asks you to establish the policy for these museums. 

Mr. SMALL. I think it would be highly improbable that the 

Smithsonian could set the policy on this when the issues that the 

Smithsonian faces regarding its museums are largely financial. 

And if the money isn’t there to run the Smithsonian, which is the 

case today, the Smithsonian certainly wouldn’t put itself in the position of recommending expansion. If the Congress decides to expand by adding on new institutions, the first thing we would say 

is let’s take care of what we have; then, if you want to do a new 

52

institution, let’s make sure the funding is there for that. But for 

us to be proposing—given the billion and a half dollar backlog of 

maintenance that we have—new institutions, without having the 

Congress saying that is what we want to do—would strike me as 

just falling on—something that would fall on deaf ears. 

Mr. EHLERS. So your first answer really is, show me the money. 

Mr. SMALL. Not only the first one; it is going to be the last one, 

too. 

Mr. EHLERS. All right. I appreciate your forthrightness. I believe 

it is important. 

Mr. Chairman, I really think it might be advisable that we do 

this in conjunction with the Senate; that we simply say we can’t 

go on one by one this way. We have to have an overall plan of location, of financing, of how we are going to do this. 

I think we are in a real problem here with if we don’t get more 

money allocated for this. And I have nothing against any of the 

projects proposed, but we can easily destroy what we have and add 

something new, which in turn would be destroyed as something 

else comes along. So I would suggest that as we consider this we 

talk about either establishing a commission to do the overall policy 

planning, or ask the Smithsonian to do it and outline very specifically what the financial needs are going to be. I yield back. 

The CHAIRMAN. Just for the record, so we don’t get thousands of 

letters from Afghani or Iranian Americans that speak Farsi, I am 

an Appalachian that happens to speak Farsi. So we are saying that 

in jest. So it would be a museum of three people. 

The gentlelady from California. 

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I am concerned about the safety issue that has been brought to 

the attention of those of us who sit on this committee and on the 

Transportation Committee with reference to these old buildings 

and the renovation of these buildings, namely that of the Smithsonian. It comes to the buildings, public buildings and Federal buildings, in the Transportation Committee. 

So the first thing, setting aside this, where are we in terms of 

Mr. Small, Secretary Small, the $1.5 billion that we are talking 

about their renovation, because in trying to make sure we secure 

the perimeters of all of these buildings, we need to look at the 

inner workings of these buildings when the public is coming 

through. So the first thing that I ask you is, where are we in trying 

to get the appropriation that is endemic to the renovation of the 

Smithsonian, which is one of our prize buildings? 

Mr. SMALL. Thank you for that question, Congresswoman, because I think it is a very, very important question. My answer to 

you would be that we are making very strong progress because of 

the support that Congress is giving to this issue. We are not where 

we need to be yet. If you have a billion and a half dollars worth 

of deferred maintenance, our thought was it would be prudent and 

reasonable to ask the Congress to try to give us 150 million dollars 

a year towards that problem, so that over the course of the decade 

we could whittle away at it and clean it up. 

When I came on board at the Smithsonian in the year 2000, we were getting about $44 million a year and we are now at over the 

$120 million level. So in about 4 or 5 years’ time we have made 

53

significant progress. But given that we are adding on these new 

museums, we are going to have to get over $150 million a year that 

will have to be there all the time to take care of these buildings. 

So I think to realistically go from $40 million-plus a year to $120 

million-plus a year in 4 or 5 years represents clearly that Congress 

is getting behind this effort. But we have to remember, we have to 

get over $150 million a year. 

I couldn’t agree more with what you have said. I haven’t met 

anybody in Congress who really doesn’t agree that the safety of the 

collections, the safety of our visitors, the safety of our staff—we 

even have day care centers in these buildings—so of the children 

who are there, not to mention all the millions of students who 

come—is paramount. 

I think we are making good progress. The Smithsonian buildings 

are safe and where there have been safety issues we have closed 

off those areas and made sure they are not being accessed by the 

public. 

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD. Those are things that I think we do 

have that is disturbing to me, because that is one of our prize possessions here this country. You should not be closing off any institution or any Federal building that suggests art work by all of the 

people of this country, other countries. 

So I would like to talk with you more about that, as I have 

talked with Congresswoman Holmes Norton, about the Federal 

buildings and as we look at the outer perimeters of protecting the 

buildings, we have to ensure the protection inside of the buildings 

where the public and our children who have child care come 

through. 

Now, when it comes to the request for the other museums, certainly one would suggest that most groups want to see the establishment of something that holds dear to them their culture and 

the art work and the material records that will connote generations 

to come knowing those things that are inside of these museums. 

It seems to me like we need to have an assessment of land use 

around here, Mr. Chairman, to see just where we are, where we 

must and need to go, where can we go, if anyplace. I know the Museum of African American—the National Museum of African Americans has had its growing pains in trying to find a suitable place—

which has yet, I suppose, Secretary Small, has not been decided? 

Mr. SMALL. Correct. 

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD. Because of myriad issues in the limitation of land use. So it appeared to me that before we can do anything else, giving that we have this one kind of in abeyance, the 

National Museum of African Americans, we need to look at some 

land-use space and the limitations so that we can provide any commission that comes forward with those limitations. 

And certainly I would suggest to my friend, the distinguished 

gentleman out of California, that we do not wish to limit ourselves 

on talking about where we want it, because the Senate will sure 

enough come in and say no, or you can’t do this, or a group of persons who may have gotten together on the African American one 

has suggested that we can do that, as well as the citizens here in 

Washington also have weighed in on this. So we have to first see 

54

where we are before we can get to where we want to go. And that 

would be my request to have an assessment of the land use. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. I want to thank the gentlelady. She has hit on 

something very important. That is why I mentioned the District of 

Columbia and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, the Mayor, 

the Council, planning commissions, because as we sit here—and I 

think we have to be cognizant and sympathetic toward communicating and working with the District of Columbia. It is great to 

have all the tourists, and to see them back here. 

This committee, all of you on this committee, have helped, as we 

all have since 9/11, to keep the building open. The Speaker has 

been insistent on safety and security, keeping the building open, 

and that is great. There are a lot of tourists now that are coming 

back; you see the crowds. 

The more museums or buildings or whatever that are built, if we 

always just look towards the Mall, what do we do about traffic and 

parking? How do tourists actually park somewhere within walking 

distance; or are there going to be more shuttles or transportation 

use that can be thought of to get people back and forth? I think 

those are things that must be taken into consideration—I know 

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has always been cooperative, but obviously wants the input of the District. I think that is 

a good thing to be aware of and to look at future planning. Thank 

you. 

With that, I want to thank again all the witnesses, both panels 

who have worked so hard, our two Members of Congress who are 

working together on this. Everybody is prepared for the hearing as 

usual, Mr. Larson, his staff and our staff and all the members that 

are here today. 

I ask unanimous consent that members and witnesses have 7 

legislative days to submit material in the record for their statements and materials. It will be entered in the appropriate place in 

the record. Without objection, materials will be entered. 

I ask unanimous consent that staff be authorized to make technical and conforming changes on matters considered by the committee at today’s hearing. Without objection, so ordered. 

Having completed our business today, the committee is hereby 

adjourned. Thank you. 

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[Whereupon, at 2:55 p.m., the committee was adjourned.]

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