Two more scholars of Hispanic and Latino history have agreed this week to help the National Museum of the American People tell its story about the making of the American People. They join six other scholars of Hispanic/Latino history who joined earlier bringing the total to eight.

The new scholars are Vicki L. Ruiz, distinguished professor of history and Chicano/Latino studies at the University of California, Irvine, author of From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America; and Ignacio Garcia, professor of Western & Latino history at Brigham Young University, author of United We Win: The Rise and Fall of La Raza Unida Party.

They join more than 50 eminent scholars from throughout the world who support the American People Museum and who focus on the immigration and migration of various ethnic, nationality and minority groups. Those among them who focus on Hispanic/Latino history include:

• Frank Bean, professor and director of the Center for Research on Immigration, Population and Public Policy at the University of California at Irvine (co-author of The Hispanic Population of the United States);
• Maria Cristina Garcia, professor of history, Cornell University (author of Havana USA: Cuban Exiles and Cuban Americans in South Florida, 1959-1994);
• Michael Jones-Correa, professor of government, Cornell University (author of Between Two Nations: The Predicament of Latinos in New York City);
• Cecilia Menjivar, professor of sociology, Arizona State University (author of Fragmented Ties: Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in America);
• Jose C. Moya, professor of history and director of the Forum on Migration, Barnard College, Columbia University (editor of Latin American Historiography);
• George Sanchez, professor of American studies and ethnicity, and of history, University of Southern California (author of Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945).

"The eminent scholars who have signed on so far are just the beginning of top-rank scholars from throughout the world who will be called upon to help the museum tell its story," said Sam Eskenazi, director of the coalition advocating for the museum.

"The National Museum of the American People will fully integrate the Hispanic/Latino story along with that of every other ethnic, nationality and minority group. The proposed museum has the support of a coalition of more that 150 groups representing the full range of Americans, including eight Hispanic organizations," Eskenazi said.

A resolution in Congress calling for a commission to study establishment of the museum has bipartisan support including from members of the Black, Asian Pacific and Hispanic caucuses along with the bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Scottish, Native American and Italian American caucuses. The bipartisan leaders of 34 ethnic Congressional caucuses are cosponsors of the museum's resolution. Rep. Jim Moran, D-VA, is the lead sponsor.

The Coalition for the National Museum of the American People is seeking to gain additional support from bipartisan Hispanic members of Congress.

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NOTES FOR MEDIA:

• Rep. Jim Moran, lead sponsor of the resolution, is available to be interviewed about this proposal. Please contact Tom Scanlon in his office: [email protected]; 202-225-4376.
• To interview Sam Eskenazi: [email protected]; 202-744-1868.
• For more information about this project, go to www.nmap2015.com.