The future of Latino history preservation is in jeopardy as President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for 2026 comes under congressional scrutiny. The budget threatens to halt plans for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino’s long-awaited expansion on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
In a move that could hinder the vision for a dedicated Latino museum, the proposed budget does not allocate funding for the building project, which was signed into law during Trump’s first term.
Instead, the FY26 budget suggests a reallocation of $5.8 million to support a Smithsonian Latino Center model, sharing Latino history and culture through existing Smithsonian Institutions rather than establishing a museum akin to the National Museum of the American Indian or the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Reaction from congressional members has been mixed. On June 6, the Republican-led Congressional Hispanic Conference sent a letter to both Senate and House appropriations committees, urging for funding to support the construction of the museum.
The Republican letter emphasized a desire for the museum to avoid perceived anti-American sentiment, supporting efforts to eliminate what they termed a ‘divisive’ ideology present in educational contexts.
Conversely, the Democrat-led Congressional Hispanic Caucus also sent a letter advocating for the museum, underscoring that insufficient funding would hinder the narrative of Latino contributions to American history.
Currently, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino operates temporary exhibits within the Molina Family Latino Gallery, which is located at the National Museum of American History.
This gallery recently showcased the exhibit titled “¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States,” which attracted nearly 1 million visitors over three years.
As the museum prepares for its next exhibit, titled “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa,” Director Jorge Zamanillo highlights the importance of a dedicated space for Latino stories on a national scale.
He expressed his commitment to representing the experiences of over 63 million people in the United States.
Zamanillo envisions a permanent site on the National Mall as a transformative opportunity that would help ensure Latino contributions are recognized and preserved for future generations.
He stated, “We served in every military conflict in the United States since the American Revolution,” emphasizing the longstanding presence of Latinos in the U.S.
The implications of Trump’s proposed budget are particularly concerning given the projected decrease in funding for pivotal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives throughout the federal government.
On May 2, Trump proposed a significant cut of $158 million to the federal Historic Preservation Fund, which has supported programs aimed at preserving the contributions of underrepresented communities.
The National Park Service is projected to receive no funds for the upcoming fiscal year, a decision that raises alarms about the future of Latino heritage preservations.
The National Park Service did not respond to requests for comments regarding the potential elimination of grant programs that have played a vital role in funding preservation efforts.
Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC), a national network advocating for Latino preservation, conducted a recent equity study documenting the status of Latino representation among the 95,000 sites on the National Register of Historic Places.
The findings revealed a stark lack of representation, with only 0.65% of registered sites reflecting Latino history.
Historical sites encompass a wide range of significant cultural and spiritually important spaces, due for preservation, yet they remain largely unrecognized in the context of national heritage.
In specific instances, locations like the Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights and Forsythe Memorial School for Girls in Boyle Heights have earned recognition as historically significant.
However, the broader context reveals a disheartening lack of sites representing Latino culture relative to the population, which constitutes roughly 20% of the U.S. demographic.
Sehila Mota Casper, the executive director of LHC, articulated the necessity of ongoing efforts to elevate Latino history.
Since its inception in 2014, LHC has been dedicated to the preservation and recognition of Latino histories often overlooked by mainstream narratives.
Without a comprehensive national inventory of Latino heritage sites, many important stories remain untold, as funding and attention often bypass them.
In response to these challenges, LHC launched the Nuestra Herencia Grant, aimed at providing financial support for Latino heritage projects.
The first grant cycle will fund a traveling exhibit for the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas, which served as the exclusive public education institution for Mexican American students from 1909 to 1965.
Additionally, the organization introduced the Abuelas Project in 2021 to honor grandmothers as cultural bearers within Latino families and to foster a deeper understanding of their narratives.
Through this digital initiative, LHC has collected 26 oral histories, 700 photographs, and more community-submitted materials to build a robust repository of Latino experiences.
Mota Casper noted, “We wanted to create something that allowed us to look outside of those parameters [in museums and libraries] and acknowledge that colonization has erased our history.”
One highlight of the Abuelas Project is an interactive platform centered around the Bracero program, which played a crucial role in U.S.-Mexico relations and labor dynamics from 1942 to 1964.
Today, Rio Vista Farm stands as one of the few remaining historical sites that reflect this important story.
Recognized in 2023 as a National Historic Landmark, the site emphasizes the significance of preserving these histories for future generations.
Mota Casper concluded with the affirmation that it’s critical for contributions to be recognized and valued to ensure a truthful narrative of our shared history, one that benefits all Americans.
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