On Friday, actress Eva Longoria and others announced they are giving $170,000 to the Friends of the American Latino Museum, which aims to build a museum on the National Mall. That group will make grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 to the Smithsonian Latino Center, the American Latino Heritage Fund of the National Park Foundation and the Kennedy Center to support Latino cultural programs.
A co-chairman of the Latino Inaugural event, who is now finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee, said the gifts are symbolic to begin developing Latino philanthropy to ensure Latinos have a prominent place in the nation’s cultural institutions.
“It represents our investment into institutions that are responsible for telling the American story,” said Henry Munoz III. “It is saying now that we’re beginning to develop a generation of arts patrons, of involvement in the arts that will begin to pave the way for a more complete story.”