LatinaLista — Every summer, in a different city across the nation, the National Council of La Raza, or NCLR, hosts their annual national conference. Town Hall and workshop discussions on a variety of topics of interest to Latinos and featuring the appearance of notable politicians, celebrities, community activists, students, academics, professionals and concerned Latino citizens fill a crowded agenda spanning three days.
The 2013 NCLR conference was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. PBS NewsHour correspondent Ray Suarez moderated one discussion resonating loudly with some Latinos — “The Making of America: Untold Stories from American Latino History.”
As the promotion for the panel discussion explained:
Despite a 500-year presence in North America, Latino culture, heritage, and history are severely underrepresented in educational curricula, historic landmarks, and cultural institutions. National groups are working intently to uncover, document, and bring forward the many contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to this country since its formation.
The only trouble is that not everyone knows of the work of these different organizations and their respective challenges in getting Latinos included — and remembered — in the nation’s documentation of history — unless there are discussions like these.
(Featured Photo: Portion of “American Dream” mural featuring Latino icons throughout national and local history at Mi Tierra restaurant in San Antonio, Texas.)
