Last night, I had the pleasure of hosting my friend and colleague, Jorge Zamanillo, Founding Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino, for a conversation here on the campus of Michigan State University. In his engaging presentation, Jorge shared the remarkable journey from his early days as an archaeologist in Miami to becoming the driving force behind the establishment of this groundbreaking museum, which Congress established in December 2020.

This program was presented by the MSU Museum in partnership with WKAR Public Media and the Chicano/Latino Studies program at Michigan State University as a means of celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month. The program received support from the Diana Huizar Rivera and Pedro Rivera, DO Mexican American Culture Endowment, stewarded by the MSU Museum.