(RepublicanNews.org) – House Republicans of Hispanic descent are threatening to defund the Smithsonian if they don’t amend a new exhibit that portrays Latinos as oppressed and underprivileged.
After touring the exhibit with his family, Arizona Rep. Juan Ciscomani felt the need to explain to his children that the Latino history exhibit was historically inaccurate. Hispanics are deserving of “better,” the Republican lawmaker said.
Ciscomani told his six children that the portrayal of Hispanics as historically oppressed was incorrect and “hurtful.” The Arizona Rep. said the museum’s version of Hispanic-American history was “being wrongly told.”
Fellow Republican from California Rep. Mike Garcia concurred with Ciscomani but used harsher language. Garcia said the exhibit looked like it had been curated by “a couple of sixth graders” and was not worth the millions of dollars Congress had appropriated for the National Museum of the American Latino.
Further complaints from legislators have led Republicans in the House to move to have the exhibit shut down and work halted on the museum. The Smithsonian’s funding bill for 2024 includes language that would see those plans carried out.
Republicans say they’re not opposed to the museum, but they are demanding that it portrays Hispanic history in the United States “accurately.” Florida Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart said the only way to get the Smithsonian to pay attention to their concerns is by affecting their budget. The Congressman said Republicans will not tolerate “the patronizing, quasi-racist” portrayal of Hispanics at the taxpayer-funded museum.
On July 19, the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill that will ban the federal government from using taxpayer money on the Latino museum. The move leaves Republicans in a much stronger position to make demands as to the museum’s content.
One opinion piece said the museum’s depiction of Hispanics was “unrelentingly leftist and insulting.” The writer said Hispanics are portrayed to be “victims” and are shown as military deserters, proponents of dressing in drag, and traitors to the country.
Copyright 2023, RepublicanNews.org
