The National Museum of the American Latino in Washington does not yet have a building, but it does have a director.
Jorge Zamanillo, until now in charge of the Miami History Museum, will take office on May 2, as reported by the Smithsonian Institution on Friday.
The anthropologist leaves the institution where he has worked for two decades to lead one of the most ambitious projects in the portfolio of the prestigious network of museums based in Washington.
Zamanillo will define the narrative on the Latino legacy along with the museum's patronage, which includes Spanish chef José Andrés, Cuban musician Emilio Estefan and American actress Eva Longoria.
"The Latino experience is American history," Zamanillo said in a statement published by the Smithsonian. "This museum will celebrate the accomplishments and resilience of Latinos through compelling stories that demonstrate the adversity they have faced for many centuries and their perseverance to move forward and create a legacy." The Latino community now exceeds 65 million in the United States, and is no longer a minority in several cities.
One of the first tasks that Zamanillo and his team will have will be to find a building for the new institution.
It is planned to be located on the National Mall, the area reserved for great monuments and cultural centers located between the Capitol and the iconic statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington.
Most of the Smithsonian museums are in that area.
The one for Latinos will not open its doors for another five or six years, according to the
Miami Herald.
Last November, the project received a new boost with the donation of two million dollars (1.75 million euros) from the company Wells Fargo.
They still need to raise more funds to materialize the idea, another challenge that Zamanillo will have to lead.
At the end of 2020, Congress approved this museum in the budget law, with the purpose of “illuminating the history of the United States for the benefit of all, highlighting the contributions of Latinos to the art, history and culture of the nation. since the beginning of its history”.
To warm things up, later this spring, the exhibition will open at the Molina Family Latino Gallery, which will be installed at the Museum of United States History.
Zamanillo, 52, was born in New York but has lived most of his life in Miami.
He began working as the curator of the Miami History Museum's memorabilia collections in 2000. As the institution's executive director, he led a $45 million expansion project in 2015 and 2016 that doubled the size of the museum and created four new galleries. .
Before assuming the directorship, he held various positions, including deputy director, vice president of expansion projects, and chief of conservation.
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