Does anyone know the stats re illegal aliens who give birth here?
Answer:
No you don't because if that was the case you would have already known the answer!
The issues of interpretation or the meaning making process, and representation, the public perception of that meaning, are quite challenging, more so in national institutions such as the Smithsonian. Some of the most fundamental questions that have been discussed in the Latino Graduate Training Seminar for the last 7 years, wrestle with issues of identity and representation. Who are we as Latinos portrayed in museums? Who are we, in the museums, or in academia to decide or “define” that? How can we be best advocates for inclusion when our stories are ignored? What are the many messages imbedded in cultural materials? How can we best record/register cultural practices? And who and how are they going to be de-codified? What are the stories that objects, images, people care about? Which ones should we place in museums?
All these questions and many more are the driving energy in analyzing objects, images, documents, performances, and music. They ultimately affect how we conceive exhibitions, programs, and plan for collections acquisition.
All these questions are underlying the presentations and discussions of this conference.
Numbering 40 million (including the 3.8 million residents of Puerto Rico), Hispanics and Latinos comprise the largest minority population in the United States. This country’s U.S. Hispanic heritage is centuries old, predating the arrival of other immigrants by many years. Indeed, colonies of Spanish and American Indians have been traced back to the early 1500s.
Across the nation, however, the diversity of the Latino experience in North America—when it is portrayed at all—most often reflects a romantic notion of imported folk culture. The mix of U.S. Latino contributions from past generations and contemporary Latino culture is rarely explained within museums and educational programs. In addition, there are relatively few opportunities for Latino scholars and professionals at museums to exchange information and work collectively to produce new, exciting exhibitions and programs that dig deep into historic collections and revive a sense of a profound, ever-changing heritage.
As U.S. Hispanics and Latinos grow in numbers and significance, it is increasingly important for the nation to know and understand what Hispanics and Latinos have contributed to the United States for more than 400 years and what Hispanics and Latinos contribute to U.S. culture and society today. The challenge for scholars, including those at the Smithsonian Institution, is to advance knowledge and understanding of Hispanics and Latinos within the United States.
Magdalena Mieri, Conference Organizer
Copyright © 2003
The Immigration information post by website user , MyTend.com not guarantee correctness.
More Immigration Questions and Answers ...