Thursday, September 24, 2009

President Obama appointed Emilio Estefan to the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino



Today, President Barack Obama announced the appointment of several individuals to the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino.

The following individuals were appointed by President Obama to sit on the Commission: Emilio Estefan, Jr., Andrés W. López, Cindy Peña, Abigail M. Pollak, and Cid Wilson. Their bios are below. The President also announced that Gilberto Cárdenas and José B. Fernández, currently Members of the Commission, will continue their service 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.”


On May 8, 2008 the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Act was signed into law. It created a 23 member commission, made up of appointees of the President and House and Senate leadership, tasked with studying over a two year period the feasibility of and plan for a new national museum in the nation’s capital that is dedicated to portraying the art, history, and culture of the Latino population of the United States.